When the Stars Don't Shine
by JmsTonight
Summary: "Please." She cried, brown eyes clashing against icy blue. He reached for the blonde, her small frame crashing into his broad chest. He tilted her tear-stained face to him and captured her lips in a passionate kiss, her breath picking up as strong arms circled her waist, warmth rolling off of him in waves. He pulled back, forehead against hers. "I could never leave you." LaLu
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: So this is my first fanfic yay! I'm going to try and not make the story drag out because I want to introduce Laxus in the next few chapters or so! This story is kind of AU-ish where Laxus was never kicked out from the guild. Ah feel so bubbly and excited! Well I hope you like it and would really appreciate any reviews!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail**

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Hazy brown eyes scanned the rowdy crowd, everyone celebrating for some random and unknown reason. There were many smiles and cheers among the powerful mages as the night progressed and their festive spirits grew. Only one person stood out in particular to the mage however, vibrant pink hair immediately catching their eye. The mage wearily eyed the boisterous dragon slayer across the room from the vacant bar, watching as he laughed with his fellow comrades, arm lazily draped across the shoulders of the newly returned guild member. The lone mage sighed dejectedly, quickly averting her eyes from the sight as she felt her heart clench in pain.

Lucy Heartfillia was not one to usually let her emotions run rampant, but the past few weeks of being pushed away and ignored by her supposed "best friend" have been hammering down on her heart and self-confidence as of late. She could obviously see that the fire breather was deeply and madly in love, but not with her. Now that Lisanna was back at the guild, Lucy knew she would never have a chance to confess her feelings for Natsu. The reunited childhood friends had spent every second together since their return from Edolas, never leaving each other's side. Lucy felt her heart shatter once more, practically feeling tossed aside for the brand new toy. Her eyes cast downwards onto her empty glass, face now set in a distasteful frown.

"Lucy?" A soft voice called. Brought out of her thoughts, the girl in question looked towards the one calling her, momentarily forgetting about all of her overwhelming emotions.

"Hi Mira," Lucy smiled to the barista. Mira was one of the few people Lucy truly felt close to besides Erza, Gray, Wendy, and Levy. She even viewed Mira as the older sister she had always wanted. The white haired mage was also one of the few people not heavily partaking in the celebration, mainly due to the fact that she was the only one who worked behind the bar.

"Are you feeling well? You looked ill for a moment there Lucy." Her normal soft features were now hard and laced with concern as she awaited the younger girl's answer, her stare never wavering.

"I'm fine, Mira" I lied. "Just got caught up in my own thoughts is all." She looked a bit relieved, but not completely believing my excuse. She does know that I have taken a liking to someone within the guild, but doesn't know that the same person was causing me to feel so down. She nearly lost it when I told her the news, just recalling the memory of her trying to get me to spill the name made me shiver in fear. Mira looked about ready to probe a bit more and question if we should have some "girl talk" but I beat her to the punch, already figuring she was going to keep me hostage till she had all the answers she needed. "I am curious about why everyone seems to be very festive tonight though. Everybody's partying like there is no tomorrow." I stated rather quickly, wanting to cease any further questions.

Mira's face suddenly brightened at the question, eyes shinning brightly, shortly forgetting any previous thoughts she had.

"Everyone is partying for the upcoming trials! Although it's three months away, the guild just had to start early." She squealed in delight, her voice almost drowned out by all of the noise. I stared at her quizzically, completely lost in the entire conversation.

"Oh Lucy, I forgot that you weren't here for last year's trial!" She recalled.

"Trial? Trial for what?" I questioned, eyes drifting off to the dragon slayer once again.

"A trial to see which mages in Fairy Tail can succeed in becoming an S-class mage," a deep voice cut in. I turned in my chair to see Gray and Erza approach the bar. Erza, with her cake in hand, chose the seat next to mine while Gray leaned back against the bar counter, shirt and pants "mysteriously" missing.

"Gray, your clothes?" I giggled, now highly amused by his flustered expression as he tried to gather his missing articles of clothing. Other than Erza's brash lifestyle and Gray's odd stripping habits, I had really grown close to the two since I arrived at the guild, always giving each other strength on jobs and battles when needed.

Trial? I thought, now seeming to register Gray's words. What would someone have to do to to succeed? Better yet, how are we even able to participate? These questions shot through my mind as I became highly intrigued at the idea of becoming an S-class mage.

"So," I started, getting back on track. "How exactly does this trial work?" Erza took a bite of her cake as she turned to address my question.

"The trials, also known as the Promotion Trial, is a series of tests and battles to see who among the guild is capable of becoming an S-Class mage. Each person in the trials is hand-picked by Master Makarov himself, choosing those he feel are ready to compete." She finished, already grabbing herself another slice of cake to fill her empty plate.

I tilted my head to the side, face alight with wonder.

"Really? How many S-class mages have currently passed the trial so far?"

"Technically five," Mira began as the scarlet mage was currently stuffing her face with the sugary dessert. "Erza and myself being two of them, but since Mystogan has returned to his homeland in Edolas, we are now down to four."

I looked at Mira in shock as she finished her sentence. There are only four S-class mages in Fairy Tail? How hard can this trial be that only four out of the hundreds of people in the guild have passed?

"Gramps usually sticks to the basic battles among guild members, but whether you are against the other competitors or an S-class is where things become challenging." Gray said, almost as if he read my mind.

"Battle against an S-Class mage!" I shouted, eyeing the three in disbelief, a few heads turning in our direction at the sudden outburst. "How could anyone ever go against an S-Class mage?"

Erza laughed heartily at my surprised reaction, a brilliant smile on her face.

"Do not worry Lucy, Master changes the trials up from time to time, and those who do happen to face an S-Class mage do not need to worry about being seriously injured. Our job as S-Class mages is to assess if the competitor is capable both mentally and physically enough to protect the people around them." She said with a warm smile. She opened her mouth to continue her explanation but was cut off by a large group of mages.

Many shouts sounded throughout Fairy Tail, followed by a faint crash as the first brawl of the night broke out. I groaned in annoyance, turning my head in the opposite direction of the overbearing noise.

"I see someone has decided to begin another strength tournament." Erza rumbled, a thick dark aura beginning to surround her. I looked to ask for the sudden serious tone, but what stopped me was seeing a broken plate and unfinished piece of cake on the floor. Putting two and two together I quickly realized where this was heading, Erza swiftly marching across the room towards the clump of fighting mages.

Nervous sweat rolled down my head as I looked to Gray for help. Gray shook his head exasperatedly, knowing that someone in the guild is going to wish they had never angered the mighty Titania.

"Come on Lucy, better go stop Erza before she ends up destroying the entire guild." Gray sighed, already walking in the brawl's direction. Lucy sat nervously in her seat for a moment, but decided to follow, not wanting to sit around and do nothing while the Gray had to deal with a very furious Erza. She bid Mira a quick apology before heading towards Gray.

The blonde crossed the room in fluid steps, quickly reaching the two mages. A swift scan of the room and Lucy noticed the fighting had stopped, all eyes on the livid red-head. A heap of tangled bodies froze in place, some bystanders even running to get out of eyesight in fear of Erza's reaction.

With arms crossed over her chest Erza eyed down the guild, searching for the culprit.

"Who started this fight?" She demanded through clenched teeth, anger seeping out of her. All eyes flew to the pile on the ground, pointing out the oblivious dragon slayer.

"Hey why'd everyone stop? I must've been too much to handle!" The boisterous mage laughed. "Ok I will go easy on ya guys this time then. Who's ready for round two!" When no one replied it was then that Natsu had begun to feel the tension in the air. He slowly turned to look over his shoulder and was met with Erza's menacing gaze. Nastu's wide-eyed expression mirrored everyone else's in the guild.

He took one quick step to the right. Then another. And before I knew it, he was running across the guild hall, arms flailing around him.

"Nastu!" Erza barked, grabbing him from the back of his shirt, clearly angered by his childish antics. "I will ask you one last time. Did you start this?"

"Well, you see, I technically didn't." He answered in a small voice.

"That does not matter." Erza cut in before anyone could speak. "Natsu, we understand it's ok to spar and battle with each other once in a while, but engaging in an all out riot is unacceptable."

"But, Erza! It really wasn't my fault!" Natsu whined. "All I suggested was a small tournament! How was I supposed to know so many people wanted to join in?"

"She's right Natsu, you shouldn't start these pointless fights in the guild or someone will eventually get hurt." I replied with a stern face. I can't really see how this "tournament" wasn't some excuse just to show off again.

"Ha! You're one to talk, Lucy." Natsu retorted. I stared at him in shock, completely caught off guard from his sudden burst of newfound anger.

"That was uncalled for." Gray spoke in a slow, warning tone. "Lucy has done nothing wrong here, Natsu."

"Yeah right! How about on that job last week then? You know, the one where she nearly got us caught by that dark guild? She did nothing wrong though, right? Or maybe the other time where we were ambushed because she couldn't handle one mage." The dragon slayer sneered.

His words felt like a slap to the face, leaving me with nothing but humiliation and hurt. Doesn't he know that I try? That I've been doing my best to help the team? I know that I am not as physically strong as him or Gray, but I've been giving it my all on the missions we take.

"She is holding the team back. Can't you see that!" Lisanna practically yelled, eyeing me with disdain.

"Enough. Both of you will apologize to Lucy. Now." Erza demanded.

"Look, on all of the missions we take it ends up with one of us having to save her from getting killed or us taking all the heat, and we certainly know why. Face it," Natsu spat. "She is not our partner. She's a liability."

I bowed my head in embarrassment as tears threatened to spill. I kept telling myself that I would not cry in front of him or anyone, but I couldn't stop the tears. He was right, I have been holding everyone back and it is all because I'm not strong enough.

I quickly ran out of the Guild hall as the other members stared at my retreating form. I could faintly hear Erza and Gray calling out to me, but I ignored their pleas, too ashamed to face anyone.

After arriving at my apartment, my body collapsed onto my bed, face shoved into the tear stained pillows. I know tomorrow will be unbearable, all eyes will be on me and it is all because I was too weak. However, right now I just want to dream away all of my problems and forget all of my worries. I suddenly felt tired from all the running and stress of today's event as a yawn passed through my lips. My eyes fell shut and the remaining tears fell from my blotchy face, drifting into a dreamless sleep.

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**Author's Note: First chapter down! Woo hoo! So, I'm planning to update the next chapter later on in the week to look over any feedback, but other than that I'm really excited to work on this :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: I really wasn't expecting many people to read this story, so I am really happy to see that you guys like it, thanks so much for all the favorites and reviews! :) I was planning on posting this sometime this weekend, but I couldn't wait to upload it. So enough of my rambling and I hope you like the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail**

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It was a quiet morning in Fiore, not many were out on the streets this early in the day, save for four lone figures. Just minutes before the sun began to rise, these four mages entered the Fairy Tail hall, each looking exhausted and worn out from the past week. All but one. This person stood at the front, leading the group with his massive build towering over the other three, his presence practically screaming authority. His cold, blue eyes showed no fear and his face conveyed no weakness, making him one of the Fairy Tail's strongest and feared members.

Laxus Dreyar pushed open the front doors of Fairy Tail and stalked in the direction of a booth at the far end of the guild, the Thunder God Tribe trailing not too far behind. He sat down to quickly recap the mission's success, silently evaluating the team's efficiency.

The mission had been no problem for the lightning mage, he didn't even break a sweat with the S-ranked mission. Taking down the rouge dark guild was of no challenge to him. His only struggle however, was listening to his teammates for the past week argue over the most trivial things. Bickslow and Evergreen had spent the last three hours talking non-stop over who had the highest chance of defeating an entire dark guild and the pointless argument was beginning to wear down on the blonde's patience.

He took a deep breath of air to calm down before he ended up frying both of them, something he did not want to have to explain to his grandfather about. He turned from the two's bickering and instead made his way to find Mira and report about the mission, his footsteps echoing through the empty guild.

Reaching the bar he found the white-haired woman flicking on various kitchen appliances, preparing for the long day ahead. She turned the corner of the counter and froze, completely caught off guard as she did not expect anyone so early in the morning.

"Welcome back, Laxus." She greeted, instantly regaining her composure. "The job went well I assume?" The girl inquired, eyes fixated on the green-haired mage across the room.

Laxus gave a low grunt as his only form of approval, paying no attention to the girl's lack of concentration. He knew of his teammate's relationship with the girl, but had no intentions of getting involved with the affair.

The lightning mage had indeed spent much of his time with the trio, considering most in the guild still resented him for his Fantasia incident. Many would say he and the trio were practically glued to each other, but in truth, Laxus was mostly indifferent towards his team's private matters. There was very little Laxus didn't know about his team but instead, he deliberately chose to keep out of their private life, hence the word "private". He only ask that they give him the same courtesy in return.

Laxus stared back down at the girl and cleared his throat, snapping her out of her trance-like state.

"Ah! Sorry, Laxus. What was it that you said?"

The mage in question held back a chuckle, fairly astonished that just seeing Freed can greatly effect the girl.

"Just ask Freed about the details." He said before striding past the flushed, spluttering mage. He passed his teammates and gave a small flick of his hand as his sign of departure.

The mage strolled through the guild's many halls and set off for the training room, figuring a workout would a good way to kill time. Upon arrival, he shrugged off his thick coat and tossed aside his sleeveless top, revealing layers upon layers of taut, muscular flesh rippling all across his torso.

Laxus stood in front of thirty, magically infused training dolls, a calloused hand holding a small remote. The dolls would served as his opponents for this workout as he turned a dial on the remote, the magic within each doll now activating them to move just as a person would.

The blonde walked towards the faceless dolls and paused, raising his hands in front of him, left hand shielding his chest and right hand next to his trademark scar along his face. Small flares of electricity surged around his body, the air now heavily laced with electric charges, creating a ticking time bomb. Time seemed to pass by in a blur as one of the dolls charged forward from the group, triggering a stampede of dolls. The mage smirked as he met the mob head on, the entire room engulfed in a yellow light as the first lightning bolt struck.

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The sound of faint laughter and the occasional chirp of birds seeped into my homely apartment, signaling the beginning of a new day. Only, I didn't want this day to begin. I covered my hands over my eyes, trying to block the blinding sun in hopes of falling back asleep. Minutes passed and more chirping ensued, the polite chattering outside seeming to grow louder by the second. With a frustrated sigh, I threw back the covers and trudged out of bed, stumbling over various pieces of furniture in the process.

I entered the restroom and headed for the sink, turning on the faucet and splashing the cool liquid onto my face. I glanced into the mirror and was shocked at the reflection staring back at me. The girl I saw had puffy, blood shot eyes and ruffled hair sticking out in all directions, face void of any emotion. A complete and total wreck. I turned from the mirror, repulsed by the ghastly image and decided a shower would be the best remedy for now.

I finished going about my morning routine and turned the shower on, discarding yesterday's clothes into the laundry basket while the water heated up. Testing the temperature I stepped into the quaint shower, sighing in content as warm water met skin, tense muscles finally beginning to relax. Ten minutes passed before I finished washing and stepped out, wrapping myself in a towel. Gathering a new set of underwear, I rummaged through my closet choosing a simple black skirt and white matching blouse as the outfit for the day.

I did not want to go anywhere or do anything today, not after yesterday's occurrences. Just thinking about Natsu's malicious words make me want to hide away in my apartment for the next year or so just to try and forget the humiliation. Just forget everything.

Fresh tears welled up in the corners of my eyes, once again emotions taking control. Letting out a shaky breath, I wiped the tears away, determined to not cry even though I knew I would break at any given moment. Just as I pulled my top over my head a small puff of smoke came into view and revealed my pet-like spirit shaking with a smile on his face, pale arms outstretched in a hug.

I gave a weak giggle as I knelt down to accept Plue's hug, silently thanking him for his comfort. It's very reassuring to know that I can rely on my spirits in even the worst situations, glad to know that they care for me as much as a I care for them. I stood up and smiled down at my lively spirit, heading towards the door.

"Well Plue," I said with newfound confidence. "Let's get this over with." We stepped outside onto the stone road and started our walk towards Fairy Tail, wondering what we will be faced with when we arrived.

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Silence. That is all that I could use to describe the guild hall as I crossed the floor over to the bar. Not many were up this early considering it was only eight-thirty, but I'm guessing word traveled fast within Fairy Tail since the few that were present had stopped their conversations and stared openly at me as I ordered a small breakfast plate. I ignored their stares and took a seat next to my shaking companion as we waited for our food.

Seeing that I seemed unfazed by yesterday's events, quiet murmurs broke out in the guild, many mostly questioning if I even remembered what had happened. I shook my head in distaste at all the gossip and instead focused on the steaming plate of pancakes that was set down in front of me.

I got to work, slowly eating away at the stack of fluffy deliciousness as the tension dissipated from the air and lighter conversation took place. I let out a breath of relief, greatly pleased I wasn't the center of attention and ridicule as I had feared. I spent most of the time eating while Plue danced or made wild gestures to get a laugh or two out of me. After having our fill of pancakes I paid for the meal and turn to see Plue tugging at my sleeve. I could sense through the bond that he had other business to attend to in the sprit world, so I thanked him again for his company before he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Hopping down from the bar seat, I made my way over to the request board to kill time and see what new jobs have popped up. Skimming over the board, my eye caught a job that needed help renovating their mining system. I grabbed the paper from the board and walked towards Mira to get it approved. The pay was fairly decent and only lasted for three days which will be more than enough time to complete with the help of Virgo.

"Morning, Mira," I called out as I returned to the bar once again. Mira greeted me with her usual smile, but clearly worried how I was doing after the Team disbanding.

"Morning, Lucy," she replied with less enthusiasm as usual. "Lucy, about yesterday, I'm really sorry about how my sister acted towards you. What was said-"

"Don't worry, Mira," I cut in to save her from continuing. "I'm over it." I lied. Of course the rejection still hurts, but as far as Lisanna went, I really was over her. No, I don't forgive her, certainly not, but I am done trying to make any sort of friendship with her. Nastu, however will definitely take a much longer time to get over, he was after all the one who brought me to Fairy Tail. I removed these thoughts and returned to the task at hand. "I was actually wondering if you could approve this job for me so I could clear my mind a bit."

I handed the paper over to Mira as I finished my sentence, letting her look over the details. She looked almost hesitant to approve the job, but said nothing as she stamped the paper knowing that I did need some time away.

"You're all set, Lucy." Mira smiled, handing back the paper. "Hope this will let you sort a few things out."

"Thanks, Mira." I smiled back, already excited for the next few days ahead. I didn't have to leave till the following morning, so I quickly bid Mira goodbye and hurried to the guild's training room as more people began to filter through the doors.

Training has never been my cup of tea, but if I want to show everyone what I am capable of, I might as well put in the effort right away.

Yesterday was definitely not one of my most memorable, but because of it, I can now strive to become a stronger person, both physically and emotionally.

"I really have a good feeling about today." I whispered aloud as I entered the training room and walked face first into the broad chest of a very large and very shirtless Laxus Dreyar.

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**Author's Note: Laxus is finally here! Yay! Sadly, I am not going to show any drastic or immediate attraction between him and Lucy. I really want to show more in depth how their relationship and interactions progress as Lucy works to become a more powerful mage. :) Reviews of any kind are more than welcome. Well, I hope you liked the chapter and I can't wait to update soon!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: I am very sorry for such a late update but I hope this will make up for that. I really do appreciate the reviews and to one in particular, I don't plan on making Lucy have some random new power, 'cause I feel if I do that, then she would no longer be Lucy but a totally different character. Things are slowly setting into motion for her and Laxus, but again their attraction might not be as rushed. Other than that I hope you enjoy this chapter! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail**

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There were a few things Lucy absolutely knew she could accomplish. Write a novel? Sure. Avoid burning down a town? Yep. Remove herself from a steamy and tantalizing Laxus? Probably not.

Running into the hulking male drove her into a daze as she hurriedly stumbled backwards to provide more space between each other. She moved blindly as her frantic shuffling came into contact with a limp doll, causing her to lose her footing and head straight for the floor.

She shut her eyes awaiting the rough impact. but it never came. Before the smaller blonde could hit the floor from the oncoming collision, the taller had firmly placed his hands on her sides to keep her in place, the bare, hot skin flush against hers. She could feel his cool breath fan across her face, heavy and labored from the strenuous exercise that just took place. But as quickly as he had caught her, he removed himself from the girl after noticing their close proximity.

"Sorry, I didn't think anyone was in here this early." Lucy mumbled, brown eyes gazing into impassive blue.

Lucy never took the time to fully view the lightning mage. He was certainly not one of her favorite people to be around, but she took the extra time now to accommodate for the missed opportunities to do so.

His hair was only a shade or two darker than her own and his massive build overshadowed hers greatly, muscle laced all over his lower abdomen and arms. Her eyes skimmed lower until they landed on his Fairy Tail mark. The tattoo the exact copy as everyone else but encircled by elegant dark swirls and patterns.

She brought her face up to meet Laxus once more, her eyes imploring and curious about the man. The thing she noticed most however, was that his usual smug and cocky expression that he wore during the Fantasia battle was no longer present. He was instead shrouded with an aura of empowerment and exhaustion, something very new and very different from what the girl was expecting.

Lucy ceased her musings and regained focus once more. Laxus stood confident and composed, not even bothered by her lengthy observation, he simply gathered his belongings and walked towards the door before pausing to toss the doll with the rest.

"Room's yours." He replied over his shoulder, not once looking back at the celestial mage.

Lucy stared at his retreating form as he walked out of the training room, her tense shoulders relaxed, grateful he didn't bring up their recent event.

She did not resent the lightning mage for his past actions, she had actually forgiven him a long time ago, but she felt that there might be a better time to try and befriend the intimidating man.

Lucy sighed and made her way to the women's locker room. Quickly changing into the appropriate workout attire that consisted of skin tight yoga pants and a loose muscle shirt. She lastly tied her blonde locks into a high pony-tail and explored the room's contents, curious and slightly confused on how each station was used.

Lucy drifted over the various workout stations and noted a small section in the corner of the room, big enough for two people to spar. This reminded her of a certain spirit who would be absolutely perfect for hand to hand combat. She smiled and stood to the side as she pulled a key from her belt high above her head.

"Open, Gate of the Lion! Leo!" She chanted aloud as she brought down the key and a gleaming light appeared.

"Lucy." Loke greeted, his usual formal suit was switched for a pair of athletic shorts and a grey form-fitting shirt. "Up for a spar, beautiful?" The spirit asked with a vibrant smile, thoroughly pleased to be in the company of his caring owner.

"Think you could teach me the basics first?" She laughed. All thoughts of Laxus vanished as she gave her full attention to Loke who began to demonstrate various stances and attacks.

The two had practiced each move time and time again until Loke deemed it mastered to perfection.

Lucy's breath was haggard and her body glistened in sweat. She flopped down onto the ground as Loke handed her a bottle of water. She took long, languorous sips of the water, savoring the refreshing liquid as it traveled down her parched throat.

"Not a bad start, Lucy." Loke commented taking a seat next to the drained girl. She drew her knees closer to her chest and rested her head on top of them, turning in his direction.

"You think so?" She inquired, slightly proud that she has made a small step towards her goal.

"Of course." The spirit affirmed. "You still have a lot more to learn, but I think you can handle most of what I throw at you."

The girl smiled brightly at her friend and silently relished in her small achievement.

"It's almost noon," Loke said. "Want to get out of here before we have to deal with Elfman's 'being a man' speech?" He asked while doing a horrible impression of Elfman and sticking out his chest in a 'manly' manner.

I laughed at the miserable attempt and Loke joined in too, the once quiet room now filled with jubilant laughter.

"Sure, anything to save me from seeing you do that again." I giggled.

"Lucy, your words are so cold." He said with mock hurt as he reached up to wipe an imaginary tear from his eye.

"Aw, poor little kitten." I playfully teased. "To show you how terribly sorry I am, how about we go grab some lunch. My treat!" I said while standing up and offering my hands to him.

He shook his head with a small amused smile on his face and accepted my hands as he hoisted himself up from the ground to stand.

"Well who could say no to you, Lucy." He laughed.

"Yeah, yeah flirty kitten." I answered. "Let me just change out of these clothes and we can go." I added, the putrid smell emitting from my skin making my nose wrinkle in disgust. At least I know I worked hard, I thought trying to create a bright side to the offending odor.

"Just call whenever you're ready, beautiful." Loke spoke as he waved his hand and disappeared in the familiar glowing light.

I strode over to the locker room, grabbed my clothes, and headed to the showers. I turned the knob and stepped into the stall, absentmindedly reflecting upon today's training and what might come next. I took my time as I mulled over these thoughts, the steam gradually misting through the air and the steady rhythm of the water resounding throughout the vacant hall.

* * *

My 'apology lunch' as Loke put it had been surprisingly very filling and pleasant in his company, not a minute went by where Loke wasn't praising the food (more so the waitress). Upon finishing the delectable meal, we spent the rest of the day strolling around Magnolia, resting once in a while at any available bench we came across.

To say the least, I was happy Loke was with me today.

We laughed and smiled at any little thing we happened to witness from all of the buzzing people around us and stopped to enter different arrays of shops to waste time. This was a well needed break on life and I couldn't feel more at ease.

The day past by in a blur, both of us too caught up to notice we had walked back to my apartment.

"I will make tea." I said as I busied myself around the room to fix the overturned furniture from earlier this morning.

Loke nodded his head and plopped down on the modest work desk pushed against the wall. He distracted himself with her small collection of books and notes she had lying about.

"So," Loke began as he absentmindedly shuffled numerous papers around her desk. "How long do you plan on training?"

"For a while," I answered from the kitchen. "I'm hoping I can turn it into a daily thing." I replied setting the pot on the heating stove.

"And this has nothing to do with Natsu?" He questioned.

"Of course not." I stated, trying to act neutral with the sudden topic. It had a lot to do with him, but I would never admit it, at least not to Loke anyway.

"How long do you plan on lying to yourself?"

My hand reaching for the china froze as I heard his accusation. My body went rigid for a moment before I forced the surfacing anxiety away and reached for the cups once more.

Everything I had done since the day I arrived through the guild doors was for him, even if I didn't know it yet. Even before I had developed feelings for Natsu, I did everything in my power to aid him, save for the multiple times he would sneak into my room, but nonetheless I tried.

The fact he had thrown me away without so much as an apology did take a toll on me. I was hurt, so hurt that I did honestly feel like the nothing that he had described me to be. Yet, instead of staying sad, I fueled my emotions to anger and determination. I am determined to work hard to improve myself, to strengthen myself as both a human being and a fighter. The anger will only help push me to prove him wrong, and I couldn't wait.

So was this really all about Natsu? No. He certainly did play a hell of a role in it though.

I smiled to myself and served the now steaming tea in each cup and waked to hand Loke his own.

He stared, confused for the sudden change of mood but was caught off guard by my reply.

"Didn't you know, Loke?" I asked as I sipped on the cup. "A girl should be two things: who and what she wants. And I just so happen to want to show everyone what I am capable of."

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**Author's Note: Another chapter down! This chapter really just showed the beginning of Lucy's training and how she wants to change herself for the better. Loke I think sees Lucy more as a sibling most of the time and I thought he would be the best spirit to help her train. Laxus didn't get featured much in this chapter, but that is why the next chapter will be mainly on Laxus's! Yay! It will mainly portray his life at the guild and the introduction to some problems he will face later on in the story including another certain blonde. I really do read every single review and I hope you could give any kind of feedback. Thanks again for reading! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Back with another chapter finally! Summer is here and I can now devote my time to writing. I hope you enjoy this chapter and possibly get a feel of how the story will progress. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail**

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"So, there I was sitting next to the pool, enjoying my day and talking to Elfman when Evergreen shows up." An overly excited Bickslow chatted.

Laxus rested his head on top of his hand, not even trying to keep up with the conversation. The increasing volume within the hall was already becoming too overbearing for his sensitive hearing as he attempted to drown out everyone. He had thought his training session would calm his nerves before many of the others arrived, but it just served as a temporary treatment before he was faced with a pounding headache and a dull ringing in his ears. The dragon slayer sat with his oddly eccentric team once more and silently wished to strangle the helmeted man next to him in hopes of quieting him permanently.

"She starts walking our way and Elfman is practically drooling over her." Evergreen glared daggers at her teammate as Laxus and Freed tried their best to avoid her boiling wrath. "Well, just as she reaches us this klutz slips and starts to head for the water! You should have seen her face, looked like a drowning cat!" He laughed. The girl had turned a shade of bright red and looked ready to kill. "Then Elfman tried to go in after her and boy was that a disaster!"

Evergreen faced the obscured man with a dark tint in her eyes, her eyebrows twitching slightly in annoyance and silent rage. Laxus had taken notice of the sudden change from the girl's usual calm demeanor and turned his head away from the group in attempt to hide the small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Evergreen drew back her leg and sent a swift kick to Bickslow's shin under the table. The man jumped in surprise and massaged the damaged skin as Evergreen grinned mischievously at him, definitely pleased with her small victory.

"What? It was funny," Bickslow whined while still tending to the abused skin. "Besides, if you're going to be sexy, ya got to do it right." He teased which earned him another kick to the leg. "Will you stop that!"

"Well, what do you guys think of this year's trials?" Evergreen asked in a sickly innocent voice, briskly changing the topic and eyeing Bickslow dangerously.

"Oh yeah, when is it again?" Bickslow asked, completely unfazed by the silent threat, and genuinely confused about the date. "I wonder what the Master has in store this time."

"It's just going to be the same trial and same people trying to compete," Laxus grumbled, sitting further back in his seat with disinterest. Every year was the same, or at least it felt the same to him anyways. People go in the trial, they fight, and they lose. Before it was humorous to see them fail, but now it just feels like a waste of time if all he will be doing is watching on the sidelines as they drop one by one.

"I don't think so." Freed interjected, clasping his hands around his cup, the steam from the warm liquid rising around him. "Don't forget we have had a few new additions to the guild after all. Lucy and Wendy have a chance to compete, and Lisanna as well." He answered in deep thought.

"That's right!" Bickslow stated at the mention of the names. "So maybe this year will be different, Laxus. You might even get to see a few decent battles." He cooed.

Laxus had to agree with the walking trash can for once. While the newcomers might not win, it might be interesting to see them compete for the first time. Who knows, maybe seeing some new magic could actually prove to be worth-while for him. Oddly enough this new bit of information left him slightly intrigued in the upcoming event, more importantly, who would be competing.

"Oh, Laxus!" A soft voice called, electrifying blue hair momentarily blurring his vision. He looked up to see a small girl running towards his table accompanied by two other male figures.

"Levy," he greeted as he glanced at her teammates Jet and Droy. Both men stood on either side of the girl, eyes narrowed and obviously displeased with his presence. Laxus ignored their pointed glares, and kept his attention on Levy, his act enraging them even more as one let out a series of mumbled curses.

Bickslow and Evergreen had stopped their conversation, both turning to openly glare at the two men. Levy had sensed the tension and wrung her hands around the hem of her dress, hands shaking terribly from the uncomfortable atmosphere.

"You got a problem or something?" Evergreen questioned heatedly. She and Bickslow kept their gaze firm as they waited for an answer. Freed had remained as silent and composed as ever, but his face hardened, emerald eyes cold and calculating upon witnessing the poor treatment his friend was receiving.

"Was there something you needed?" Laxus asked calmly, his thick voice slicing through the tension easily as all eyes landed on him.

"Oh, yes! I was just with Master Makarov, and he asked if you could meet him in his office." The girl smiled nervously, hands still shaking.

"I see. Thank you, Levy" he replied, swiftly ending the discussion. She merely smiled again at the group before turning to leave. Laxus could see the girl lecturing her teammates seconds later, the look on their faces said it all as she spouted words a mile a minute for their behavior.

Once out of ear shot Evergreen let out an irritated sigh. Laxus knew this kind of treatment bothered his teammates to their wits end since it wasn't the first time this had happened. Events like this use to occur on a daily basis for the four; other members ignoring their presence, shouting at them, but a majority of the heat had been thrown at Laxus after the Fantasia parade. Most of the members were outraged when Gramps had allowed him and the Thunder God Tribe to stay. He didn't entirely understand why his grandfather would do such a thing either, but did not question his decision.

"Well, what are you waiting for? The Master still needs to see you remember." Freed reminded as he blew on his cup. "Tells us what happened afterwards."

Laxus nodded, heading up the stairs and to a large wooden door. He had opened the door and entered the spacious room. The room consisted of a deep, mocha colored desk, two office chairs, one sofa, and the occasional family photo. Laxus watched his grandfather scribble away at the many stacks of paperwork as he took a seat in one of the chairs across of the desk.

"Laxus," Master Makarov smiled. "How is it going?"

Laxus sank deeper into the chair, his tense muscles unwinding. It was not often Laxus was called to have these little chats with his grandfather, and certainly not often that these chats would end on a brighter note. He looked towards his child-sized grandfather and felt so much warmth radiating from the older man.

"It's going I suppose," he answered blandly. "Yourself?"

"Considerably well for an old geezer like myself I say." He laughed. "I am dealing with quite the dilemma however, which is why I called." Laxus kept quiet, his impassive mask set in place as he waited for his grandfather to continue. "As you know, I am slowly reaching my limits as Master of the guild, and there was only one person who came to mind when thinking of a successor." Laxus felt an unpleasant chill crawl up his spine, almost predicting his grandfather's next words.

"Laxus, you are to be my successor and take my place as Master of Fairy Tail."

The blonde sat stunned, face blank and devoid of emotion from the sudden news. The two stared at one another for a good minute before realization finally kicked in. How could he run a guild? Sure he could handle the paperwork and financial part, but he can't be Master of Fairy Tail. Not with almost every member hating him. He inhaled a deep breath of air before exhaling, desperately trying to clear his head.

"I won't be stepping down right away," his grandfather piped in happily. "You have to learn the ropes first of course."

"Gramps." Laxus sighed. "I don't think that would be the best decision. The guild hasn't exactly welcomed me with open arms."

"Nonsense! The members of the guild just need to see your changes. They need to be shown how much you have to offer as the future Master." He said as he looked at his grandson with confident and upbeat eyes.

Laxus brows furrowed together as his mouth set into a distasteful frown. He could feel the frustration creep its way into his mind as he tried to reason with his grandfather. "Gramps, you and I both know that isn't going to happen anytime soon." He grumbled in a low and serious tone.

"Oh, don't tell me you won't at least try to-"

"No, Gramps." He interjected. "I'm saying that it won't happen because I can't necessarily show them how I have changed if they are not willing to look." He forced through grit teeth. "Most still act as if Fantasia happened just yesterday. They don't see a person trying to fix their mistakes, Gramps. They are too clouded by malice and mistrust to comprehend that simple fact."

Makarov stepped around his desk and looked at his grandson, his very own flesh and blood. He could see the doubt and conflict broiling within, a side of Laxus he had never in his long life come face to face with. Yet, he could see it everywhere in the man; his confidence replaced by an emotion too foreign to be recognized.

"I know their behavior can be demeaning at times, but you did try to harm the people they care about, so of course many would resent you for that. However, if I know anything about this guild, it's that everyone here is capable of forgiving." Makarov said with a warm and assuring tone.

Laxus ran his hand through soft, blonde tresses as he let the new information sink in. Laxus knew deep within that his grandfather was right. Sadly, the amount of time it would take to gain back the guild's trust was not going to aid him in the least.

"It will indeed be a difficult task to accomplish," Makarov spoke as if reading his mind, "but you should be up to the challenge. You are a Dreyar after all." He chuckled.

Laxus eyed his grandfather and tried to make sense of the whole situation. He was going to be Master of Fairy Tail, his home, and he needed to step up to the challenge.

"You sure do have a way with words, Gramps. " Laxus rolled his eyes, a small smile forming onto his face.

"Knew you wouldn't let this old man down." Makarov chuckled. "But this isn't the only thing I need from you."

"It never is, Gramps." Laxus answered sarcastically as his grandfather smirked at the remark.

"Right you are, Laxus. I need to talk to you about your charges."

"My what?" The lightning user asked, somewhat confused as he thought of his lightning.

"Not that charge!" Makarov hollered as he pulled out several papers from his desk. "This year has been fairly tough determining the contestants of the trial with the new members and all. So, I have assigned all of the current S-Class mages to monitor and evaluate possible candidates. Mirajane, Gildarts, and Erza have already been given their charges, which leaves you will the remaining group." He stated hunching over the pile.

"Who are my 'charges' exactly?" Laxus asked as he stood to examine the material. He looked at the papers that littered the table, each varying in size and length. His hand took a random paper that had a list of names, several crossed out, a few circled, and some rewritten more than once. Makarov plucked a thick yellow folder from the pile and handed it to Laxus.

"You are to form a team and report back daily of their progress. Within the folder is already pre-assigned missions that you and your team can take. Any other missions you plan to have your team do must be cleared by myself first. The day before the trials is when I will make the final decision. You are still free to go on solo missions as long as it within a four day time frame; your team however, will only be permitted to take jobs together over the next three months. Most importantly, do not let the members of the guild know that this is an evaluation. Other than that, you are free to greet your new team!" He beamed.

Laxus nodded to his grandfather before taking his leave, yellow folder still in hand. He was more than relieved to take a break from the S-Class jobs and crazy time periods. He was indeed slightly displeased with having to partake in this evaluation, but if it killed time, he didn't mind much. He stopped right before entering the guild hall, remembering the folder he held. He opened the folder and took out a paper with three names and soon to be new team. Blue eyes scanned the paper before placing it back in its previous position.

_'Gajeel Redfox, Wendy Marvell, and Lucy Heartfillia. Let's see what you can do.'_

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**Author's Note: It was actually pretty tough trying to show a bit more softer side of Laxus but still keeping him strong and masculine. This was my small interpretation of what I thought would have happened if Laxus had been allowed to stay, but overall it was fun writing! Next chapter will be out later on in the week, possibly the next few days. Hope you liked the slight twist for the trails. I really appreciate comments of any kind! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Not that long of a chapter, but I have more on the way.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail**

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Sitting at one of the many empty bar stools, Laxus dived into his folder, his back facing the hall as his hands roved over the pre-approved jobs, skimming through each description that would soon be more than just words on a piece of paper. It had only been minutes after he left his Grandfather's company and he had already submerged himself in work yet again. He knew that by doing so he would not solve anything, his problems or the other's around him, but he had become accustomed to the act as a means to escape the people around him. Reading the last job, he placed the paper back into the folder and pushed it to the side of him, closing his eyes briefly to regain his focus on the matter.

Light footsteps tapping against the floorboard roused him from his concentration, electric eyes opening to see a small form now seated next to him. Laxus immediately identified the child as Wendy since it was nearly impossible to confuse her with the other bluenette he had talked to earlier. Wendy sat on the stool swinging her feet that barely touched the floor, blue locks swaying behind her as she talked happily to her feline companion. She was also one of the few people who did not view him poorly for the Fantasia incident since she had arrived at the guild long after.

"Afternoon, Wendy." Laxus rumbled as he addressed the girl. She turned in her seat and smiled up at the fellow dragon-slayer.

"Good afternoon, Laxus. How are you?" She greeted politely. The girl never seemed to be in a bad mood he noticed.

"I am doing well," he replied. "I need to talk to you about an important matter actually."

The girl looked up at the older mage, slightly puzzled that he would need to talk to her, but nodded her head for him to continue.

"For the next three months I would like you to be a part of a temporary team." He announced.

"For three months? That is an awful long time, may I ask why?" She questioned. Her cat Carla remained silent beside the pair as she too was curious to hear his reasons.

Even though dragon-slayers could detect when a person was lying, he was confident Wendy hadn't perfected that ability yet. "Master Makarov thought the guild could benefit from working with other people." He lied.

"You said team, so who else would be joining?" Carla interjected.

"Gajeel and Lucy are to join the team. Myself included." He answered.

Wendy smiled at the mention of her friends names, excitement practically pouring out of her. "When do we start?" The girl squealed.

Laxus gave a hearty-chuckle at the girl's enthusiasm, something he did not do often. "Soon. Would you happen to know where Gajeel is?" Laxus asked the jubilant girl.

"I know who we could ask!" She exclaimed. She hopped down from her stool and walked to the side of the hall with her cat. Wendy looked around the hall before spotting a dark ball of fur. She motioned for Laxus to follow as she approached the small cat known as Pantherlily.

"Pantherlily, have you seen Gajeel?" The white exceed called out before either dragon-slayer could properly greet the cat. Pantherlily sat on a table as his tail flicked behind him. The cat gazed at the two humans casually from his comfortable spot.

"Follow me." The cat grunted as he stood and headed towards the front exit, tail still swishing behind him.

Laxus followed the three out of the Guild and caught sight of the metal dragon-slayer laying against a tree, his back propped against the base of the tree and arms crossed in front of his chest as the soft breeze brushed the leaves above him. His eyes were closed and only soft snoring could be heard from the man. Pantherlily approached his partner, standing to the side and pushing his shoulder to wake him.

"Gajeel, Wendy and others are here to see you." He said as he tried to shake the man awake. Gajeel just slapped the paw away and continued to nap peacefully. With that method proved useless, Pantherlily lept on Gajeel's head and smacked his paws repeatedly against his forehead all the while screaming for him to wake up. Gajeel jerked up abruptly from his pleasant nap and looked up to see his cat had not arrived alone.

"What do you want?" The pierced man grumbled as he stretched his arms above his head lazily. Laxus took the next few minutes to repeat what he told Wendy. Gajeel sat uninterested in the whole subject as Laxus finished.

"No thanks." Gajeel answered bluntly. Laxus wasn't bothered since he knew Gajeel has no choice in this situation, even if he thinks he does.

"Come on, it will be fun!" Wendy squealed in delight.

"Why should I?" The brutish man argued, while he was always up for a challenge, he didn't really take a liking to being bossed around.

"Because it will be fun, Gajeel." Wendy repeated once more but shrouded under a different and noticeable change in her friendly demeanor. The hidden threat did not go unnoticed by the two men, one slightly intrigued by the sudden change of events, the other prepared to meet the threat head on.

Laxus remained as the fly on the wall in this situation, quiet and observant along with the two exceeds. To say he was curious to see who would emerge victorious would be an understatement. Red eyes locked with tender blue as the battle for dominance had begun.

"I'm not doing it." Gajeel grumbled, his eyes never leaving Wendy's as he answered.

"I'm pretty sure you are." Wendy smiled.

"Are you gonna make me?" Gajeel retorted, a dark gleam in his red eyes.

"I don't know, Gajeel. It'd be a shame if someone just _happened_ to tell Levy how you rejected your friends when they needed your help." The bluenette answered innocently. Gajeel narrowed his eyes and leaned back against the rough bark of the tree.

"Go ahead." He challenged. "It's not like I care." He knew the girl was only bluffing, it was Wendy he was dealing with after all.

"Oh look," Pantherlily said as he looked at the guild doors. "There is Levy now." The dark feline smirked at his partner who was now glaring daggers. Wendy winked at Laxus and the others before running towards the other bluenette.

"Levy! Wait up!" The devious girl called out. Wendy was halfway to Levy when she felt a strong hand cover her mouth and pull her back to the direction of the tree. She flailed her arms wildly until her captor finally removed his hand. Gajeel stood from the group with a deep scowl and a faint blush dusting across his cheeks.

"Fine." The agitated dragon-slayer mumbled. Wendy smiled at her friend and apologized if she had embarrassed him which earned her a soft thump to the forehead. She pouted for a moment before her usual smile broke through.

Laxus watched the exchange along with the two cats and smiled at Wendy's victory. Definitely not a bad start.

"So where's Bunny Girl at?" Gajeel asked. "She's supposed to be in this team too?"

Laxus arched a golden brow at his new teammate, mentally questioning his sanity as to how he managed to come up with such a nickname. He did see Lucy this morning, whether or not she was still at the guild he had no clue.

"I can fill her in tomorrow." Laxus decided. "Pack enough for three days and meet at the train station before sunrise tomorrow morning."

"What about Carla and Pantherlily? They will be coming with us, right?" Wendy asked. Laxus stared at the two cats and came to realize they wouldn't join without their exceeds.

"They can join on jobs, but they will not be there to help you, you have your teammates for that. Strictly no flying." Laxus said while looking at the now worried bunch. No one argued against his new rule as they stared back. "Pack and relax for the rest of the day. Be ready to work tomorrow." Laxus looked at his team one last time before turning back to the guild.

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**Author's Note: This chapter was more of a short filler to get my mind back on track. The next chapter will go more into depth and focus more on Lucy and the team. Hope you enjoyed and as always, reviews are really appreciated.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Two chapters! Finally right? Well I made this one much longer than the last chapter and I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail**

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The soft ticking of a clock echoed through the dark room, the occupant lost in her own world of dreams and wonder. Smooth blonde locks seemed to melt into the bed that held her, a pale white cover enveloping her body in a warm and secure embrace as she slept. When she dreamed, she could do whatever she desired. She could hide in the confines of her mind and just enjoy a world that held no worries or impending doom. This is her outlet from life, an outlet to escape all of her problems and fears that she keeps bottled up inside. This is her way to cope with the inevitable because dreams are just that, a dream. Dreams are something that everyone desperately wants to become a reality, but it is just a fabricated lie, a lie she will tell herself in order to move on from yesterday.

These are some of the many thoughts that Lucy has, the thoughts that never reach past soft pink lips. Some she could express, the ones that usually held no particular value or potential damage, but there were others that she kept tucked away deep in the corner of her mind, a corner where those grave and deadly thoughts flittered about. The light ticking continued, the steady rise and fall of her chest in a constant and steady rhythm.

It wasn't long before her blissful dream dissipated and formed into a thick and heavy fog. This fog settled over her until her senses slowly woke her up altogether, the ticking clock leaving a dull ring in her ears. Lashes fluttered against pale rosy cheek to reveal deep brown orbs. She stared at the blank white ceiling above her, dots dancing across her vision as she tried to remain awake. She took in a deep breath of air and sat up in her bed, the covers sliding down her petite frame and nestling around her waist as she reached for the clock.

'_Already morning.' _The clock showed it indeed was already a new day, 5:04 am.

She followed her usual morning routine, just going through the motions until she stood at her closet door stuck between two outfits.

"I say the green one, Princess." A light voice called from behind.

Lucy spun around to see Virgo standing to the side of her bed, clad in her neat and refined maid attire. The pink haired spirit stood tall with hands clasped together as she stared at her 'Princess'.

"Virgo, you can just call me Lucy you know."

"I apologize. Punishment time, Princess?" The pinkette questioned.

Lucy quickly dismissed the ludicrous thought and looked at her closet again. "Green outfit it is."

She walked back to her bathroom and changed into the green tank-top and khaki shorts that fit her curves snuggly. Minutes later she returned as Virgo finished setting out three covered silver platters on the small coffee table.

"Breakfast is ready, Princess." Virgo chimed as she lifted the cover off of each plate.

The first plate held warm and freshly cooked eggs with a side of crispy bacon and toast. The second plate revealed a stack of steaming waffles drizzled with syrup and butter. The final plate uncovered a bowl of finely cut strawberries and a cold glass of milk. Lucy stared at the food and wondered how Virgo managed to conjure up so much food in such a small amount of time.

"Thank you, Virgo but I can't possibly eat this much food." The blonde said. "You should eat too."

"I couldn't, Princess." The spirit answered hastily. "This is your meal, Princess."

Lucy shook her head and sat at the small table, plopping down onto the soft cushion gracefully. "I would really like for you to have breakfast with me, Virgo." The girl said lightly, a bright and inviting smile spreading across her face.

"If it will make you happy, Princess." Virgo sat opposite of Lucy and brought out a separate plate for herself.

The two ate in a comfortable silence, both eating an equal portion of the food. Lucy sipped on the last bit of her milk, most of the food now gone and into full stomachs. When both had finished, Lucy moved the dishes to the sink and washed each till they sparkled, much to Virgo's protest.

Lucy wiped the last dish and checked the time, 5:46 am.

"Virgo, would you like to help me with a job today?" The blonde asked as the spirit placed a plate into a cupboard.

"Of course, Princess. Will we be leaving soon?"

Lucy grabbed a brown bag from her closet already pre-packed for the day. She moved various items around before pulling out her handy whip and placing it on the side opposite of her keys.

"In a few minutes. I could call you as soon as I meet the person who sent the request." She answered as she slung her bag over her shoulders.

"Very well, Princess. I will see you then." The pinkette bowed as a cloud of smoke shrouded her figure, signaling her return to the Celestial Spirit World.

Lucy moved around her room tidying up quickly before exiting her apartment and walking out of the building. She walked down the gravel path for a few minutes before arriving at the train station. She paid for her ticket and sat at a bench as she waited for her train to pull up.

* * *

Loud tapping echoed in the empty street. Wendy streaked past many buildings as she rushed to the train station, blue hair flowing around her elegantly. She wasn't late of course, but that didn't matter to the girl as she skid to a stop in front of the ticket booth. Carla flew beside her friend seconds later and not as winded.

"What was all the running for child?" The cat asked, floating effortlessly to the counter to pay for their tickets.

The small girl put her hand on her knees as she tried to even her breath. "I didn't want to be late is all."

The cat clicked her tongue disapprovingly at her friend and pushed her to the side to sit. Wendy complied obediently and sat at the bench. She felt her heartbeat slow down gradually and her breathing return to normal. She smiled thankfully at the cat and waited for the others to arrive.

Soon enough she heard another pair of footsteps down the hall. However, these footsteps were light to the girls sensitive hearing, and upon further inspection she realized it was not any of the men who showed up, but Lucy. She watched as Lucy sat at another empty bench.

Wendy bounced from her seat, startling the poor cat, and sped over to the older girl. Wendy always viewed Lucy as an older sister, and she was more than happy when Laxus announced that she would be a part of the team too. She slowed down to a walk and waved when Lucy saw her approach.

"Hi, Lucy!" The young girl beamed.

Lucy smiled back at the girl in return. "Morning, Wendy. What are you doing here so early?" The blonde asked, slightly surprised to see anyone up at this time.

"I'm heading on a job!" She answered happily. "Well, we are anyways."

"Who is 'we'?" The blonde questioned, brows drawn together slightly.

"Wendy, Gajeel, and you." A thick voice cut in.

Laxus walked up to the two girls and dropped his bag to the floor with a thud. He wore his usual burly coat and black tank-top, intimidating as always. The man stood much taller than the two and had to look down to address them properly.

Lucy stared stunned and a bit anxious to see Laxus again. Why? She had no idea. Maybe it was better if she didn't know why.

"I stopped by your apartment earlier to talk to about this, but the land-owner said you had stepped out." His voice rumbled. "Master Makarov asked me to form a temporary team for the next three months. You, as well as Wendy and Gajeel were chosen to be that team."

"Thanks for the offer, but I have job I'm doing today." She replied politely. The whole reason she took the solo request was to be away from teams.

"Master Makarov hand picked this team and made it very clear that everyone has to participate." Laxus answered as his electric blue eyes bore into hers.

"I still have a job request to do though."

"We can make the stop with you there!" Wendy added in hopes of persuading Lucy to agree.

Lucy puffed out a small sigh and pursed pink lips together. "Alright, what will this job be exactly?"

"I will explain when we get there." Laxus replied. "The train will be here shortly."

Lucy nodded and complained mentally at the lack of information he supplied. She wasn't entirely against the idea of joining another team, but she wasn't fully on board either.

"So, how did you guys manage to get the big and scary Gajeel to agree to all of this?" She asked curiously.

Laxus glanced at the young dragon-slayer beside him and smirked slightly as the girl began to go into deep detail of how she blackmailed the almighty metal dragon-slayer into joining. Lucy burst into a fit of giggles with the younger girl, the sound leaving a warm and foreign feeling in his chest.

"Yo." Gajeel called as he approached the others. Speak of the devil. His hair was a bit messier than usual as he yawned and staggered next to a chuckling Wendy, Pantherlily choosing to stand beside Carla. "Looks like Bunny Girl showed up after all." He grunted.

"Morning to you too, Gajeel." Lucy said sarcastically as she rolled her eyes. "I never thought I'd see the day when Gajeel actually followed orders." She teased.

He frowned slightly before opening his mouth. "Now now, no need to be such a grumpy bunny." The pierced man smirked. "I never thought I'd see the day when Bunny Girl would go from Team Nastu to Team Laxus."

Lucy froze at the sudden comment and eyed Gajeel carefully. She knew that it shouldn't affect her that much, but the feeling of betrayal slowly crept up on her. She shook the morbid feeling away and smirked at her friend.

"I never thought I'd hear about a certain dragon-slayer get all hot and bothered over a certain book-loving mage." She countered. His faced turned a small shade of pink as he turned to glared at the blue-haired girl next to him who once again broke out in laughter.

Laxus didn't join in with the conversation, but instead observed the other blonde. She tucked a stray hair behind her ear, all the while giggling at Gajeel's flustered state. Unbeknownst to her, Laxus didn't miss the pained expression she wore before.

The shrill sound of a whistle broke into the conversation, the sound of metal screeching against metal more than enough to signal the arrival of their train. Laxus grabbed his bag and hefted it over his shoulder, instructing the others to board.

The remaining five piled in after Laxus and chose their seats, stuffing their bags in the overhead compartment. Wendy sat beside Carla with Gajeel and Pantherlily opposite of them, leaving Lucy to sit with Laxus. Lucy chose the seat next to the window as Laxus opted for the aisle seat. Both sat in silence before the shrill of the whistle sounded again and the train began to leave the station.

Laxus had begun to feel queasy as the train moved and noticed Gajeel had already been reduced to an immobile lump in his seat. His stomach clenched at the sight and he moved his soundpod over his ears in attempt to ease his motion sickness. The music helped tremendously as he felt his stomach settle. His eyes glanced at the girl across of him and smiled inwardly as she gazed at the scenery that brushed by.

* * *

Departing the train, Lucy stood in awe and utter shock as she took in her surroundings. The town was beautiful; there were many calm rivers that flowed in every direction, bending and twisting freely as well as fine-sculptured buildings that soared high above her, standing strong and firm. She oggled the fish that passed by, completely mesmerised by the many different glimmering colors. Wendy and Carla joined Lucy and walked around the town to sightsee while the two men and one cat stayed back.

"So is our job to follow those two around all day?" Gajeel grumbled as the girls traveled ahead.

"No, but Lucy has a request that she needed to do." Laxus replied, equally as disinterested in viewing the scenery.

They spent the next half-hour following the girls as they walked the town aimlessly. When Gajeel was asked for an opinion on dresses, he nearly lost it and trudged out of the store.

"Fine, since Gajeel wasn't much of a help, we will cut it short here." Lucy decided as she exited the store. "Let's go and get this job started."

Lucy made her way to the town hall and entered the grand building. The interior was as impressive as the town, but the overall design was very bland compared to the outside buildings. The group followed behind her as she informed the desk woman she was here representing Fairy Tail. The woman was your average beauty: long brown hair, very noticeable curves, and unblemished ivory skin. The woman was skeptical as she eyed Lucy in front of her, but ushered the group through two white doors nonetheless.

"The Mayor will be with you momentarily," The woman informed haughtily. "I will be outside if you need anything." She exited the room and closed the door behind her.

"What wonderful company she must be." Carla said as she clicked her tongue in annoyance.

"I apologize for Taylor's rude behavior, she doesn't take well to mages." A tall man in a black business suit said as he walked into the room. He stood before the group retaining a comforting and inviting aura. The man too was very handsome: dark brown eyes, thick physique, tan creamy skin, and jet black hair that spiked upwards.

"Very pleased to meet you all." The man greeted. "I am Luke Carrick, mayor of Hargeon. Welcome to our town."

* * *

**Author's Note: I know that this town doesn't really name the mayor in the series so I thought of the two characters. What did you think of Laxus and Lucy meeting? I wanted it to be kind of natural and not so tense or awkward. Tell me what you think of the last two chapters and what you would like to see later on. Thanks for reading and reviews are more than appreciated. Until next time.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Thanks you guys for all of the reviews! I'm really glad you like the story so far :) Well here is the next chapter, hope you like it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.**

* * *

"Nice to meet you as well." Lucy smiled. She kindly offered her hand to the man which was soon enveloped in his own. "I am Lucy Heartfillia and these are my friends traveling with me from my guild." She introduced each member as they greeted the man.

His eyes traveled over the group behind her before meeting hers once more. "When I sent this request, I honestly didn't expect such a large group to arrive." He laughed, a smile gracing his lips.

She turned, blonde locks swaying in the air before tumbling to rest along ivory skin and glanced at the three dragon-slayers behind her. "I didn't think so either."

"Please sit." The mayor gestured to the seats across a sleek desk.

Wendy and Lucy thanked him politely as they took their seats, Laxus and Gajeel following suit while Pantherlily and Carla opted to stand by their respectable dragon-slayer.

"My request is very simple and will take no longer than a day. Since Hargeon is not as dependant on magic as many other towns are, some tasks can be very hard to accomplish for the people of this town.

"Three days ago, one of our bridges collapsed. No one was hurt thankfully, but now the bridge needs to be reconstructed and the old foundation needs to be removed in order to do so. However, the foundation is too deep that none of our drills can fully reach. All I ask is that you could get rid of the old foundation that is underground so we can begin rebuilding."

"Of course." The celestial mage smiled. "I can have it done in no time. Just point the way and I can get started."

The others looked at the small blonde curiously, probably wondering how she could 'have it done in no time', but the mayor looked more than pleased that his request could be fulfilled.

"Splendid! Taylor can accompany you there." He said enthusiastically.

The group stood as he strode out of the room, to inform his assistant.

"How ya gonna pull this off, Bunny Girl?" Gajeel questioned as everyone filed out of the office and returned to the front desk.

"With Virgo's help of course."

"Who now?"

"One of her spirits, Gajeel." Wendy sighed.

The group reached the desk as the mayor talked to his now seemingly annoyed assistant. She fumed in her chair, a crease in her forehead as she openly denied the task given to her.

Lucy frowned at the hostile behavior the woman held for her and her team, but held her tongue. Even if she voiced her opinions, it wouldn't solve anything at the moment.

"You guys can see the rest of the town if you'd like. It really won't take too long." Lucy insisted, facing her team to block out the conversation behind her.

"I'll go with you." Laxus offered.

Lucy paused, stunned and as was the rest of the team, all eyes going wide at the older man's words. She wasn't terrified of the idea of being alone with Laxus, hesitant maybe? This is Laxus Dreyar, dragon-slayer and one of the most powerful mages in Fairy Tail, so of course she would be very anxious as to why he volunteered to tag along.

Laxus, however did not think much of his decision since he acted more so out of responsibility than anything else. Yes, he found the blonde interesting, but why everyone was utterly shocked perplexed him.

"I want to go with Lucy too!" Wendy pouted, displeased.

"Then that means we all have to go, brat." Gajeel scoffed, flicking the young girl's forehead.

"Ow, that hurt, meanie!"

"Boo-hoo. Let's get out of here already, this place is such a drag."

Gajeel turned and pulled a very reluctant Wendy along with him, the girl half walking, half dragged out through the front doors, the two exceeds shaking their heads and following.

Lucy waved apologetically to her friend while Laxus just watched the scene with disinterest. The young blonde swayed from side to side uncomfortably, stealing quick glances at the mage beside her when she thought he wasn't looking.

'Why do I never know what to say around him?' She pondered. She felt her heart pick up yet again when blue eyes stared back. She snapped her head to the side, a bright pink brushing across her cheeks as Laxus openly studied her flustered state.

"Only you two I assume?" A voice cut in.

The two mages turned to witness the assistant, Taylor, standing next to the desk stiff and noticeably impatient. Laxus peered at Lucy through the corner of his eye and met her gaze once more, both knowing that their day was going to be a long one.

* * *

The car ride was very unpleasant to say the least. Lucy and Laxus sat in the back of the car as far away from each other as possible. Lucy stared out the window, various shades of greens and blues speeding by.

She shifted in her seat, the thick, tense atmosphere seemingly unbearable. As soon as the two mages entered the car, they could practically feel the hostile aura emitting from Taylor.

"Have you been in Hargeon all your life, Taylor?" Lucy questioned politely, anything to break the silence.

The car hummed quietly as it traveled down the smooth road. Taylor's eyes snapped upwards to look at Lucy through the rear-view mirror before returning to the road.

"I have." She responded, slightly irritated. "I was here to even witness you and your fire friend destroy part of the town, but you probably wouldn't remember that, now would you?"

Lucy bristled at the harsh comment, and sadly she truly couldn't remember that event occurring. There has been more than one occasion that Natsu would nearly burn down a town.

Laxus leaned against the door, resting his chin on top of his hand as the woman driving drilled into the blonde.

The woman glanced at the blonde again and scoffed, almost disgusted with the girl.

"You actually don't remember. Well let me refresh your memory, you and a couple of thug mages almost killed the girls that were being kidnapped a year ago." She seethed. "Those men took a handful of girls on a ship heading to Bosco to sell them as slaves, to sell my sister as a slave."

Lucy looked at the spiteful woman in shock as she recalled the memory. It was when she barely left her father and met that physcopath Bora who lied about taking her to Fairy Tail. It was also the first time she met Natsu. Her heart clenched at the distant memory, her lips pressed into a thin line as she gazed at the woman in front of her.

"And not only were they almost killed by those mages, you burned down many homes and buildings in the process."

"I am truly sorry about that." Lucy apologized. "I didn't think at the time if anyone seriously was injured."

"You didn't. You and that menace didn't stop to think about the people who would come home to find their houses destroyed or the people you could have hurt with your magic."

Lucy looked down at her lap ashamed, her hands curled so tight that her knuckles turned a ghostly white. She hadn't thought about how the town would be affected, how many people might have lost their homes.

"It's a small price to pay, don't you think." Laxus's deep voice reasoned.

The women looked to the stoic man as he sat casually in his seat. He did not seem to be affected by their shocked expressions as he met their stares head on.

"And how would that be a small price to pay?" The vexing woman demanded.

Lucy remained silent as Laxus addressed the question.

"Would you rather you have your sister and all those girls sold as slaves to the highest bidder, or a few houses gone and everyone safe and sound?" He inquired.

Lucy sat in her seat stunned by his words. The Laxus Dreyar was actually defending her.

Taylor on the other hand was at a loss for words as she opened and closed her mouth repeatedly to try and voice her reply.

Laxus sent Lucy a faint smirk while the woman grumbled to herself and stayed silent the rest of the ride. The young blonde smiled in return, thankful for his help and gazed out of the window once more until the car came to a slow stop.

Taylor exited the vehicle hastily, slamming her door shut behind her as the two mages moved out of the car to follow the raging woman to a heaping pile of stones. "This is the foundation." She informed as she walked away from the two. "I will be in the car."

Lucy sighed a breath of relief after the brunette had returned to the car and examined the huge slab of stone in the ground. It was definitely large in width, something she was expecting, but the depth of the foundation was still a mystery.

"Let's begin then." She took a gold key from her hip and raised it above her head.

"Open, Gate of the Maiden! Virgo!" She chanted as she brought her hand down and was enveloped in a golden glow.

Virgo appeared moments after and bowed to the blonde. "Princess, punishment time?" Virgo greeted in her usual monotone voice.

Laxus raised an eyebrow at question and watched amused as the celestial mage rejected the idea. He stood to the side as the blonde girl relayed the task needed to be done while the spirit nodded in understanding and stood on top of the stone. The pink-haired maid spun at an incredible speed as she disappeared under the ground, bits of dirt and stone flying through the air.

"So, do you get a kick out of her calling you 'Princess' or what?" He questioned with a hint of sarcasm.

Lucy bristled at his question. "She and a few others insist on calling me that." She answered nervously. "Better than being called 'Master' honestly."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"Well, I don't think they have to address me with any type of title to begin with, and being called master just seems weird and a bit too much for my taste."

"That is what you are to them though, right?"

"Technically speaking, but I don't want my spirits to view me as such. I'd be much happier if they saw me as a friend rather than a master."

Laxus nodded at the girl and ran a hand through his blonde locks as the two were consumed in silence once more.

She turned to him and crossed her arms over her chest, rubbing her arms absentmindedly as a breeze flew by. "Well since we are going to be a team for three months, why don't we get to know each other a bit more." She offered as the older blonde shoved his hands into his pockets. "Simple questions first I guess, any hobbies?"

"Training, sparring, and music." He listed almost instantly, holding up three fingers.

"That's all? Doesn't seem like much." The girl replied, bewildered.

"Being an S-class wizard does have their down-sides when it comes to job requests." He stated. "You don't get a lot of free time with jobs that can last up to at least a month. Your hobbies would be?"

She thought for a moment of all the things she has done in her free time, but many tied back to Natsu dragging her places. "I guess it would be writing, reading, and cooking, for the moment."

"And I don't do much." He grunted with a smirk. "So, how does your magic work?"

"Well, usually I find or buy a key," She began in deep thought. "Then, I negotiate with the spirit if they would be willing to form a contract, and when that is done I can summon the spirit on certain days or for specific tasks."

"How long do your contracts usually last?"

"As long as the spirit and I want it to really, so if a spirit decides they don't want me to have their key anymore, the contract ends."

"How many keys do you have then?"

"Sixteen total. Ten gold and six silver."

"Seems like a very interesting magic."

Lucy smiled to him, happy with the interest he showed in their conversation. It was quiet once again, but less tense for the two as they simply enjoyed each other's company. Lucy focused her attention the task at hand and stared at the massive hole in the ground where the foundation of the bridge used to be.

"All done, Princess." Virgo informed as she jumped out of the hole, startling the young blonde.

"Thank you, Virgo. How deep it that thing anyways?" Lucy asked as she hesitantly peered into the dark hole.

"Fourteen feet to be exact."

"Long way down then." Lucy squeaked as she stepped away from the vast crater. "Thank you again Virgo, you may go if you'd like."

"Very well. Goodbye, Princess." Virgo bowed as she vanished in a puff of smoke.

The two made their way back to the car that was now parked in the shade of an oak tree. Lucy dreaded being back with Taylor again, but knew there was no way of avoiding it. She huffed a deep breath of air when they almost reached the car.

"I am really not looking forward to this ride back." She blanched.

Laxus opened her door for her as she took her seat. "That makes two of us then."

* * *

**Author's Note: The whole selling kidnaped girls actually did happen if you think back to the very first episode. A little bit more Laxus and Lucy fluff in this chapter. Tell me what you think and what you'd like to see more of! Next chapter is going to show a bit of Dragon-slayer bonding. As always, reviews are more than appreciated! :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: A bit more Wendy and Gajeel based for this chapter, but I'm pretty happy with how this chapter turned out. Thank to all of the people who followed, favorited, and reviewed the story, it really makes me happy to see you guys like it :) Hope you enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail**

* * *

All eyes were on them, heads turning in their direction and words whispered back and forth as the two dragon-slayers strolled throughout the unfamiliar town. Both were used to the curious stares and whispers by now, they didn't exactly blend in persay, but they have never experienced it to such a large degree before. The four figures continued down the stone path they had been traveling on for the past ten minutes, all seemingly out of place and uncomfortable under the blistering sun.

The petite bluenette tried to keep up with the mage in front of her, attempting to tune out all of the voices around her.

"Could you slow down a bit, please?" The small girl begged to the man who was now a couple feet in front of her.

It didn't even look like he broke a sweat when he stopped. He paused in the middle of the sidewalk with a bored expression plastered on his face as he waited for the girl to catch up. Carla and Pantherlily had no trouble keeping up of course, both flying at a steady pace next to the older mage.

"I want to get out of the sun already. It's too bright for my taste." His gruff voice called with disdain as he crossed his tan, well-muscled arms over his chest.

Wendy finally caught up to the group ahead of her and sighed. She brushed a stray lock of eccentric blue hair out of her face, eyeing her brooding teammate beside her.

"Well, why don't we step inside a store and grab something to eat? It's still early, maybe we can have breakfast." Wendy suggested as she began to search for any restaurants nearby.

She caught sight of a small shop and tugged on her larger friend's hand in an attempt to steer him in that direction. He complied and started trudging behind the girl, his boots almost thundering against the sidewalk as they neared their destination.

Wendy entered through the medium-sized building first and took a seat at a vacant, rectangular booth. Carla hopped up next to her and set their bags under the table, Gajeel sitting across from her doing the same while Pantherlily sat comfortably on top his head. When everyone was settled in, they looked around the restaurant, taking in their new surroundings.

The restaurant was mostly empty, save for a small ensemble of teenage girls and two male workers lounging around the front counter. The walls of the building were coated in a warm shade of yellow and sterile white with many copper and silver decorations scattered about. A few decorations had the figures of various animals, a dragon in particular caught the young girl's attention as she oggled the piece.

She cleared her throat and averted her eyes from the figure, picking up a menu at the edge of the table and flipping it open to go over the contents and meals listed. The silver figurine reminded her of Grandeeney, the one who raised her, cared for her, and taught her sky magic. There wasn't a day Wendy didn't miss her beloved dragon, so it made her wonder if Gajeel felt the same way about _his _dragon.

She lifted her head slightly to peek at the male from behind her menu and viewed the same scowl he kept on his face, he hadn't even picked up his own menu yet.

"Hi, I will be serving you today."

Wendy averted her attention from Gajeel and saw a boy no older than eighteen next to the table with a notepad in one hand and a pen in the other. He had short, jet black hair that stuck up in spikes and deep forest green eyes.

"Aren't I lucky, I get to serve such a cute girl today." The boy gave a small smile to the bluenette which left her blushing a bright crimson.

Gajeel scowled when he noticed the boy's eyes linger on his teammate longer than the should have, a low growl emitting from his throat. The boy glanced nervously at the heavily pierced man and took a step away from the table.

"Well," the boy cleared his throat. "What can I get you to drink?"

"A water for myself, please." Wendy answered politely, twirling a strand of hair around her finger shyly. "Oh, and a glass of milk for my friend." She added gesturing to Carla.

"And for you?" He questioned while looking at Gajeel.

Gajeel stared at the boy, blood red eyes boring into green. "Same thing." He grunted.

The boy scribbled down the drinks, nodding his head quickly as he walked as fast as he could away from the table.

"What are ya blushing at, kid?" Gajeel questioned, reaching his hand over the table to flick his young teammate in the forehead yet again.

"Ow! Nothing!" She squealed, Gajeel and the two exceeds giving her strange looks. "What are you getting?" She asked quietly trying to to change the topic and rubbing her abused forehead tenderly.

"Iron, and probably fish for Pantherlily."

"It's breakfast time though." The girl stated. "Wait, where are you even going to get iron from?"

"I will tell the kid I want iron and he will bring it to me. Simple."

"I don't think they will have that, Gajeel."

"They will figure it out." He assured her.

Wendy worried for the boy, she could tell he was going to have a hard time dealing with Gajeel.

The boy soon returned with the four drinks and placed them on the table, very careful to stay out of arm's length of Gajeel. When asked if the group was ready to order, all seemed well until Gajeel told the boy he wanted iron. The boy laughed at first thinking Gajeel was kidding, but realized that the man was serious. Wendy really doubted Gajeel was going to get any iron, but sure enough the boy wrote down the order and vanished behind the kitchen doors.

"How do you think the next couple of months will turn out for those two?" Carla whispered to Pantherlily who had now settled in the seat next to Gajeel, slurping on his tall glass of milk.

Pantherlily faced Carla, his tail swishing behind him as Gajeel's hand scratched the back of his ear. "I only know so much about Laxus, but I'm willing to bet he won't go easy on them." Pantherlily purred to his feline companion.

Carla looked at her friend with an eyebrow raised. "I was thinking that as well. Wendy isn't all that fit for physical training, she is just a young girl."

Wendy looked down at her drink and swirled the transparent liquid. "Hey, I think I can handle it." She pipped in.

"I hope so, child. It's just that you won't be able to have my help." Carla answered worriedly.

"Don't worry, I will be there to help her." Gajeel ground out. His words gained the attention of the whole table.

"Really, Gajeel? You'll help me?" The bluenette asked in shocked. Gajeel rarely helps out, he usually only does so when it's an emergency, so the fact he was going to help her really made her feel special.

"Why not? We are gonna be seeing each other for the next three months after all." He smirked.

"Thank you, Gajeel." The girl smiled brightly at her friend. He just reached over the table and ruffled her hair.

"Yeah, you'll do ok, kid."

Their breakfast arrived at the table and the group dug in, even a plate of iron scraps for Gajeel to gobble down on.

Then when everyone finished and had full stomachs, the group paid for their meal and began their leisurely stroll beside the sparkling riverbed.

Wendy smiled happily to herself, very content with her day so far while Gajeel just rolled his eyes at the small girl's constant grinning.

"Your face is gonna get fall off if ya keep on grinning like that." He said.

When she ignored him, he stopped in front of the small girl and grabbed both of her cheeks, squishing and pinching them together as she tried to swat his hands away. He laughed at her abnormal facial expression, all the while continuing to torture the helpless girl.

"Gawjeeel, stahp et!" She whined, her speech muddled.

"There," Gajeel snickered. "Now your face will be ok."

"Not really!" She cried. She covered her throbbing cheeks with her hands and pouted at Gajeel.

Carla bonked the tall mage on his head with a paw, ready to scold him, but stopped as a man shouldered past Gajeel. He stumbled forward as the stranger kept running ahead, not even stopping to apologize and massaged his shoulder. Gajeel grumbled to himself and tried to seek the culprit, but more and more people moved past the group.

Soon a crowd had formed around them, people rushing around as they swarmed to the other side of the street. Wendy was pushed and shoved as the people filed by, the little girl was almost trampled on if it hadn't been for Gajeel. He took Wendy's dainty hand in his and pulled her close to him to protect her from the crowd, both plowing their way through the herd of people a safe distance away from all of the chaos.

"Ya ok, kid?" He asked letting go of her hand and squatting down, inspecting to see if she was hurt.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She assured lightly. "Why were all those people there though?"

"Not sure." Gajeel answered with narrowed eyes. "Pantherlily, could ya go check out what those idiots were going."

"Of course." Pantherlily nodded as he soared off into the sky and rounded the block.

The black feline wasn't gone long and when he returned he swooped down next to the mages, shaking his body and fur as specks of confetti fell.

"So? What's going on?" Carla demanded impatiently.

"It seems like some kind of parade. That's why all those people were in such a hurry."

Wendy's eyes lit up, practically sparkling with excitement. "A parade? Can we go and see it? Can we?" She asked, enthusiasm practically gushing out of her small form.

Gajeel groaned at the thought of being surrounded by a bunch of people. He had no problems with crowds, he just disliked all of the noise and clamor they would make.

"We don't have to stay for long, just for a few minutes." Wendy bargained, desperate to get her teammate to agree.

"Ten minutes and that's it."

The girl cheered in delight and spun around in the direction of the crowd. Gajeel followed at a much slower pace, but kept an eye on the girl in case she wandered off.

Wendy reached the edge of the crowd, but could not see a thing over their heads. She tried to make her way through the crowd to the front, but was blocked off by the many bodies and forced back to the edge. She looked to Gajeel, a pleading look in her eyes.

"Gajeel, can you let me on your shoulders?" She questioned innocently.

"What? No." He stated bewildered. He not only had to watch this lame parade, but now he had to carry the girl, no way.

"I'm too short and I can't see a thing!" The girl pleaded.

"Get over it, ya aren't getting on my shoulders." Gajeel grunted.

"But I want to see too, Gajeel! Please?"

Gajeel scoffed and frowned at the stubborn girl. "Just have your cat carry ya."

"Laxus said absolutely no flying." She reminded.

"He's not here is he?"

"We are technically supposed to be on a job. Please, Gajeel?" She asked, giving him those puppy dog eyes that every girl seems to have mastered.

He sighed in frustration and knew that she wouldn't let up until he gave in. He crouched in front of the small girl and mumbled many curses under his breath as she climbed on his broad shoulders. He stood, grabbing her thin legs to keep her from falling as she was hoisted above the crowd.

Wendy gasped at the parade in front of her, so many vibrant colors clashing against one another as people cheered and hollered. There were different floats that passed by, some displaying humorous skits and music while others held important figures of the town.

She loved the dancers the most. Their beautiful costumes swayed around them as they flowed and moved nimbly around each other with grace. Wendy 'ooed' and 'aahed' at the moments where the dancers would flip in the air or spin, many doing so with almost no effort at all.

Gajeel huffed, irritated with being forced to watch the parade, but if it made Wendy happy for the moment, then so be it.

In the end the group stayed much longer than just ten minutes and watched until the parade ended. Gajeel didn't mind, but instead began their way back to the Town Hall, Wendy still atop his shoulders as she talked happily to him and the exceeds about her favorite parts of the parade. He just smiled lightly at her jibbering and walked away from the dispersing crowd.

* * *

"The job went well I assume?" The mayor smiled to Lucy and Laxus as they arrived in the stale office.

"Without a hitch." The girl replied, avoiding eye contact with Taylor who was glaring at her from across the room.

"Excellent! Thank you again so much, I was afraid nobody would show up, then we would be in real trouble." He chuckled.

"We are glad Fairy Tail was able to help." Laxus said politely. Lucy smiled, amazed to see how… civil Laxus could be.

Lucy and Laxus didn't remain long after the mayor paid the reward, Lucy insisted they stay the night, but Laxus was hell bent on continuing to the next town. They said their goodbyes to the mayor and exited the building running into quite the peculiar sight.

Both blondes eyed each other, highly amused to see an irritated Gajeel carry Wendy towards them, the two exceeds circling overhead.

"Ya are starting to get heavy, kid." The blondes heard Gajeel tease to the bluenette.

"Am not!" She exclaimed, bending forward slightly to look him in the eyes.

Gajeel teetered forward, the sudden shift in weight throwing him off balance. Wendy gasped in shock as the two fell to the ground, Gajeel taking most of the fall as he landed on his back with Wendy on top of him without a scratch. The girl freaked out, standing abruptly and repeatedly apologizing to her friend who groaned at the little to no pain he felt.

Lucy giggled at the bizarre scene in front of her, the small girl trying to haul the large man up, tugging at both of his arms and pulling with all of her might. Gajeel just layed there, smirking at Pantherlily as he continued to stay on the ground in 'pain'.

Laxus cleared his throat, the two mages snapping their heads in his direction. "Having a good time?" He questioned, a small smile playing on the corner of his lips as Gajeel lazily stood up.

"Let's go, we are already running late." He stated as he made his way in the direction of the train station.

The group boarded the next train and heading back north. At noon they had passed Magnolia and arrived at Onibus, everyone trudging off the train and following Laxus to a nearby Inn. After they checked in, the group took the elevator to the third floor as Laxus instructed for everyone to dress in more 'suitable' clothes for exercise.

Lucy and Wendy entered through one of the many doors, Laxus and Gajeel's room right across from theirs, and redressed, leaving their bags and items in the confines of their room. The group met in the lobby, the men ready and waiting as the girls arrived. They exited the Inn and Laxus lead them to the forest.

"So, what are we going to be doing, Laxus?" Lucy jogged up next to him as they reached a clearing in all of the greenery.

"You'll see." He smirked to the blonde girl. He stopped in the middle of the vast clearing and turned to the three mages. "Alright, today is the beginning of our three, long months together as a team, so you guys better get used to each other quick.

"I originally intended on having the first half of today going over the request we have, but that can be saved for a later time." He stated throwing off his black top to a nearby tree stump, revealing two rows of taut, abdominal muscles. Lucy's eyes roved over his partially naked body and recalled their brief encounter. "Right now, we begin your training."

Lucy snapped out of her daze and looked to the two dragon-slayers beside her. Wendy seemed as if she was ready to collapse any second while Gajeel grinned wolfishly at the mention of training.

"Lucy will pair up with Gajeel, Wendy with me." He stated as he stood in front of the small girl, his massive build overshadowing her completely.

"Um, w-what type of training are we doing now?" Wendy stuttered, slightly nervous to be paired up with a powerhouse like Laxus.

"We are going to spar."

* * *

**Author's Note: I really loved writing Gajeel and Wendy together, they are so adorable sometimes. I just wish there could be more of it in the actual show. For the people who were a little disappointed if Lucy and Laxus were paired, don't worry, I have something extra special for them in the next chapter :) Tell me what you think of this chapter and as always, reviews are more than appreciated.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: So I'm a bit of an insomniac so whenever I have the urge to write, no sleep, but I wrote this chapter almost nonstop, the fights scenes felt so fun to do in my opinion and totally worth no sleep. Thank you to all the reviewers and new readers! I hope you enjoy this chapter! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail**

* * *

"Again." Laxus barked.

Lucy glanced his way and wiped off the excess sweat from her brow with the back of her hand. She turned back to Gajeel just in time to jump out of the way of a fist that was aimed for her head and throw up her hands in front of her face.

"Don't lose focus." Gajeel snickered, swiping at her once more.

They had been going at each other nonstop for the past hour. Laxus spent the first twenty minutes showing some of the basic moves for Wendy's benefit, mostly blocking and countering since she wasn't too pleased with attacking her teammate. Laxus wasn't that bad of an instructor, he made it very simple to understand each technique and never rushed the bluenette. She was slowly getting the hang of things.

Carla on the other hand was on the brink of madness, she nearly jumped out of her skin when Laxus threw a punch at the small girl. Wendy managed to barely block the hit, but she blocked it nonetheless.

Lucy and Gajeel went straight to it though, sending jabs and kicks to one another as time went by. Lucy was on the defense mostly, waiting and examining Gajeel's form and movement pattern. She used the little knowledge she gained from Loke and the moves demonstrated from Laxus to block and dodge. Fist and feet were flying towards her in all directions at such an incredible speed she had a tough time keeping up.

Lucy dodge a punch that came to her side, Gajeel's firm hand barely missing the soft material of her blue tank top. They circled around each other, Gajeel's smug look taunting her, coaxing her to make a move. She didn't bite though, she locked eyes with red orbs and waited, waited for the moment he slipped up to strike.

He would throw another punch, she would dodge. When he finally got fed up with their game of cat and mouse, he took her by surprise and sent a round house kick to her upper body. Her eyes widened as she tried to slip to the side, but was nicked on her shoulder.

A hand instinctively went to her arm, massaging the tender flesh before another fist came her way. She ducked and rolled away from him, causing even more pain to her shoulder. Gajeel advanced on her, a flurry of punches aimed at her as she was forced to use the back of her forearms to block.

After excruciating seconds of taking his continuous hits she figured out his pattern. He would alternate straight punches on each hand before using a single right hook, leaving his lower abdomen open and unguarded. She waited and counted the number of punches he sent.

'1, 2, 3, 4, 5…Now!'

She dug her right foot into the dirt to steel herself and sent a blinding uppercut to his lower stomach just as he drew his right arm back, the blow causing him to lurch forward momentarily as she quickly stepped back and regained her defensive stance.

"Not bad, Bunny Girl." He grunted, holding his stomach. "Don't think I'll let you do it again though." His eyes turned a darker shade of red as he stepped to the girl, ready to pounce on his prey.

"Whatever you say, Metal Head." The blonde teased confidently.

She stayed on defensive once again, but Gajeel made sure to leave no opening for her this time. He sent hit after hit against her relentlessly, trying to land a blow on the girl. Some punches passed her and she had to jump back from the hulking male to avoid anymore serious damage.

"Breathe, think, focus." She heard Laxus yell at her. She kept her hands up guarding her face as she inhaled, then exhaled.

Gajeel lunged at her, arms outstretched and ready to grab her hands. She sidestepped him easily and sent a kick to the center of his back. He spun on his heel, dodging her attack and sent a kick of his own that came in contact with her upper torso. She doubled over, her sides clenching in pain as she rested on her hands and knees.

"Looks like I win." Gajeel snickered as he turned his back on the girl. A wrong move on his part.

She quickly sprang up behind Gajeel and placed a leg in front of his, using all of her strength to push the middle of his back forward. He landed face first into the ground, grass entering his mouth as she put a foot between his shoulder blades.

"Looks like I win." She smiled down at her friend who was now spitting up blades of grass.

"That was amazing, Lucy!" Wendy ran up to her, grinning from ear to ear. Lucy high-fived her small friend, a large smile of her own plastered on her delicate features.

"Good, try to go on the offensive next time." Laxus cut in. "You only sent a total of seven hits in that last hour. Something we can work on."

"Whatever you say, captain." Lucy saluted as she and Wendy helped Gajeel up.

"You got lucky, Bunny Girl." The defeated male mumbled, irritated as he dusted himself off.

"Never turn your back on an opponent." The blonde girl smiled to her friend as she took a seat on the ground. "Even if she is as pretty as me." She joked, poking her friend in the side of the head.

"Don't worry, I'll keep that in mind next time." He assured the girl, sitting next to her and Wendy.

"Take a five minute break then get ready to do it again." Laxus declared.

The next three hours passed much faster than the blonde had anticipated. She and Gajeel had a total of five rounds, Gajeel winning four and Lucy only three. As for Wendy and Laxus, they weren't really keeping count. The small girl was beginning to relax around the larger mage and even took it upon herself to throw a punch at him every now and then.

Wendy handed a bottle of water to each person, Gajeel and Lucy were currently taking a breather, chatting aimlessly.

"Hey, what is the request that we are doing anyway, Laxus?" Lucy questioned, unscrewing the cap of her water and walking his way.

Laxus didn't respond but instead downed the first half of his bottle and poured the rest over his head, not a bad sight for a certain wide-eyed celestial mage. Her mouth formed in the shape of a large 'O' as she traveled the water that cascaded down the man's steamy skin, brown eyes roving over his delicious body and taut muscles.

"Close your mouth, you might catch flies." Laxus chuckled to the girl, not at all embarrassed with his toned physique.

She snapped her mouth shut and felt a sudden rush of heat rise to her cheeks. "You didn't answer my question." She grumbled crossing her arms over her chest and giving a small pout. There was no denying Lucy thought Laxus was attractive, he was practically a walking god with a body like his.

"Listen up." Laxus's thundering voice called to the mages. "This request is not going to be a walk in the park. You will need to know that the people we are going up against are not your average mages. I want you to focus on honing your offensive and defensive skills and work as team. In the event you cannot use your powers, rely on each other and strategize." He said eyeing a certain brash dragon-slayer.

Laxus walked to the three exhausted mages and pulled a small stack of papers from his bag nearby, handing each a single page with three faces and basic information. There was a picture of two identical men, probably twins, with half of their hair black, half gray and sporting mischievous grins. Both had a black symbol tattooed below their right eye, the small swirls resembling a star inscribed in a sun. The third picture was of a woman with pink, bubble gum hair and a nasty scowl. She too had the same tattoo, but was placed at the base of her neck.

"These three were part of a dark guild that my team and I took down a couple of months ago. However, these mages went off grid a few weeks ago and were last seen here in Onibus." Laxus informed. Wendy looked to Lucy, obviously nervous to have to encounter these intimidating looking mages. "Our job is to seize and apprehend the three and turn them back to the Magic Council."

Lucy wasn't unfamiliar with dark guilds, hell, Gajeel had been in one after all. She looked to Gajeel who looked slightly disturbed by the three pictures, his face set in a hard frown. He put the paper down and stared off into the sky, something clearly on his mind.

"Well, in the event that they can't use their magic, can we evacuate them?" Carla asked.

"No." Laxus responded firmly, his intimidating stare frightening the small cat. "You will not help them, they can depend on their team, and of course me if they need help."

"So, what do we know about the type of magic they use?" Wendy questioned curiously, looking over the paper again to familiarize herself with the names and faces.

"The two twins are Blake and Jace." Laxus informed. "They use copy magic and absorption magic, but who uses what is not exactly known since they are practically clones of each other. The girl is Desmond, leader of the group. She uses a low form of possession magic, as far as we know she can't possess another person completely for long amounts of time."

"Ten minutes." Gajeel answered, gazing at the group with a grim look.

"What?" Lucy asked, turning to him.

"She can only possess a person for a total of ten minutes, after that she is limited to only controlling bodily functions."

"And you know this how?"

"Being in a dark guild, you hear things, do things no one should do." Gajeel faced the group, a bleak and faraway look etched into his features.

"If you can, avoid Desmond at all costs." Gajeel grunted, laying down on his back with his hands behind his head as he stared at the moving tufts of white in the sky.

Lucy frowned. Everyone has their dark pasts, it just occurred to her that Gajeel had a past worse than others.

"We can go over the rest later. Right now, jog four laps around the clearing, and after that we will be done for today." Laxus stated to the group, stretching his arms across his chest, giving another little show for the small blonde.

"Four laps? Could we just skip that part?" Lucy asked as she laid sprawled out on the soft grass. "How about dinner instead? That sounds nice right now."

"Fine, we can stop, if you can win a round against me." Laxus said to the blonde.

Wendy looked at her friend worriedly while Gajeel just encouraged the idea by chanting 'fight, fight, fight' repeatedly.

"Let's go." She grinned. She stood and they circled each other as Gajeel and Wendy watched from the sidelines, waiting for someone to make the first move.

"Don't think you'll be able to take me down as easily as Gajeel. It wouldn't be wise to underestimate your opponents." The large lightning mage smirked, slowly stepping towards the girl with his hands in front of his face.

She ignored his arrogant comment and grew tired of waiting for him to strike first. She finally took the offensive and threw a swift right jab to his lower abdomen through the small opening he left. "Right back at you." She smiled.

He steeled his core and chuckled, slightly surprised she got a hit in and even more surprised how fast her fits were. Her movements weren't all that graceful or refined, but he knew with time that wouldn't be a problem.

He drew his left fist back and aimed for the side of her head, his hands moving much faster than what she was expecting. She spun away from the hit, but felt his opposite hand come in contact with her chest. She stumbled backwards and felt a searing pain as his leg hit her back.

"You can do it, Lucy!" She heard Wendy scream as she tried to recover her breath.

"I got 50 jewel on Laxus." Gajeel laughed to Pantherlily who just shook his head at his companion.

"Gajeel!" Wendy shrieked.

"What? I was just kidding." He mumbled under his breath.

'Breath, think, focus.' Lucy repeated to herself. 'Breath, think, focus. Breath, think, focus.'

She pivoted on her foot and jumped, a swift kick connecting with the back of Laxus's knees. His knee buckled in on him as he knelt to the ground.

'Here's my chance.' She pulled her leg back, this time aimed for his head.

Her leg was inches away from reaching its target when Laxus grabbed her leg and pushed the offending limb away, setting her off balance just long enough for him to get back on his feet and hook a foot behind hers. He pushed her to the ground and she landed on her back with a soft 'thud' as he straddled her waist. He quickly grabbed her wrists and pinned her hands on either side of her head, electric blue eyes looking at the small blonde. His face was inches away from her, her chest rising and falling rapidly as he continued to stare at her.

"I win." He whispered thickly.

He stood off of the stunned girl and offered a hand to her. She took the large hand in hers and he hoisted her up effortlessly. She let his hand slip away from hers as a soft breeze blew past her, already missing his warmth.

"Four laps!" He yelled behind his shoulder as he began to jog around the edge of the clearing.

The three groaned in protest, but jogged the four laps right behind him.

* * *

Everyone returned to their rooms after eating dinner at a close by shop. Gajeel didn't order iron this time surprisingly, and all went well as the girls chattered to each other excitedly about fashion or the previous spars while the men ate in silence.

Once the group returned to the hotel, the girls arrived to their room and piled in, Carla and Wendy plopping down onto their bed while Lucy sat in a nearby chair to review her paper on the three rogue mages.

"Lucy, what was that scene with you and Laxus earlier?" Wendy inquired, a cat-like grin spreading across her face.

Lucy nearly tore the paper in half, she was so shocked Wendy brought that 'scene' up. "W-what are you talking about." She stuttered.

"Mira always told me it's always ok to watch, but you can't get caught. I think I understand now." The small girl giggled lightly.

Lucy just stared at her young companion. 'Mira, what nonsense are you telling poor Wendy?' She thought helplessly, looking back to her crumpled paper.

* * *

"Ah-choo!"

"You alright, Mira?" Elfman asked his sister from the side of the bar.

The white-haired girl just nodded her head and continued sweeping down the Fairy Tail hall. "It's probably just some dust." She smiled to her brother.

* * *

**Author's Note: I just had to get this chapter posted up already, was driving me crazy. Well what are your thoughts on the fight scenes? I personally think that Wendy isn't very combat ready since her magic is healing mostly, aside from a few defense moves that she has, but nonetheless I want to try and show a side outside of her shy and polite demeanor. A bit of LaLu moments are slipping in, really happy I got to write more around them. As you guy might have noticed, I don't pre-write a whole bunch of chapters because if there is something you guys want to see more of, I want to incorporate as much as I can in the story. Well, tell me what you think of this chapter and as always, reviews are more than appreciated :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: Please don't hate me for making you wait so long. Just got caught up in this and that, I kind of had no time for writing as of late. But fear no more, I have finally got my mind in gear. I hope you enjoy this long awaited chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail**

* * *

_It was sunny out, a perfect day to laze about and just drift away in your own thoughts. Lucy was laying peacefully on the lush grass of a meadow, dressed in a simple white summer dress and her hands tracing the shapes of clouds that breezed by. _

_She traced a cat, then a bunny, and finally a lotus flower. She smiled as the clouds danced around each other, the bunny being chased wildly by the cat as the flower seemed to bend and twist happily in the air._

_Her relaxation was soon interrupted as grey clouds rolled into her view, the sky beginning to darken quickly and the shapes of the bunny, cat, and flower beginning to fade. The wind blew fiercely, her face turning ice cold and body shivering. _

_The girl stood to her feet, her immediate reaction wasn't to run away, but instead run towards the approaching storm. She took off running, her dress flowing freely behind her. It felt like she was floating on air._

_The storm was above her now, the looming clouds promising misfortune on anything in its path. The meadow was replaced, everything encased in a veil of darkness as the storm stood out in all its terrifying glory. Lightning crashed, striking the ground just feet behind her._

_Now she wished she could have been a normal person and just escaped when she had the chance. A series of thunder and lightning revolved around her, making it nearly impossible to make her get away. The yellow light highlighted her horror-stricken features and outlining two additional shadowy figures behind the girl._

_A hand reached out for the girl's back. Her heart was beating erratically, her mind jumbled with panic and fright. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and that's when she let out an ear splitting scream._

Lucy shot out of bed, her body now a crumpled heap on the floor. Her hair was a tousled mess, blonde locks sticking out in directions that seemed to defy gravity, breath caught in her throat, and brown orbs searching the room frantically for anything out of place. A dreadful feeling in the pit of her stomach kept her on edge, a feeling strong enough to disturb her sleep. She clutched the sheets to her chest and blindly searched above her for the lamp resting on the nightstand.

With a flick of a switch, the room lit up, her vision adjusting to the lighting and revealing no sign of threat. Wendy and Carla were still fast asleep, cuddled together snugly and obviously not at all bothered by Lucy's boisterous moment of panic. Lucy gave out an audible sigh, grateful that the young girl and feline were such heavy sleepers.

Sweeping the stray hairs back into place, Lucy stood from the floor and unceremoniously tossed the sheets onto her bed. Her heartbeat slowed to a normal rate and the loud thumping in her chest finally began to subside. Her skin felt ice cold, the modest black pajama shorts and plain white t-shirt not enough to keep her warm. Lucy opened a drawer from the jet-black nightstand and pulled out a grey hoodie. Mindful not to forget her keys, Lucy grabbed those as well and strapped them to their usual place at her hip, adding her room key to mix.

Now satisfied with her warmer attire, Lucy turned off the lamp and crossed the room, careful not to wake her slumbering teammates. She shuffled into her shoes and twisted the door knob slowly. She slowly pulled on the door handle and slipped out of the room swiftly.

Lucy looked left and right down the deserted hallway, slightly on alert before finally walking to the stairs. She started her slow descent, her footstep ringing loudly on the metal steps and echoing against the walls. It was just a matter of minutes when she reached the final set of stairs. She jogged down the last few steps and pulled open the door to the lobby.

It was a nicely decorated room; spacious, orderly, and welcoming, something most people would expect from such a high caliber hotel. Every item in the room from the furniture to the desk's paper weights seemed to compliment each other.

Lucy plopped down one of the many plush couches and grabbed a magazine from a nearby coffee table. She flipped through the pages, genuinely trying to read the articles but soon lost interest. Her eyes wandered out the window, taking much more joy in watching the night stars than the reading dull words of the long forgotten magazine.

"Trouble sleeping?"

Lucy didn't have to turn around to know who it was.

"I could ask you the same thing, Laxus." Lucy momentarily averted her attention from the window and to her teammate.

Laxus leaned against the wall with a small smirk on his lips and arms crossed over his chest in a causal manner. He seemed more humanized, his usual orderly appearance replaced with an entirely different look. The usual extravagant attire was replaced with navy blue sweatpants and a dark grey form fitting shirt. His blonde hair was disheveled and his sleeping attire wrinkled slightly, a stranger would probably think he was a common civilian instead of a powerful mage.

"You could," he replied, his voice much deeper than usual. "But I'm more interested in what you have to say." He sat on the couch across from Lucy, patiently waiting for her answer.

"Just a hard time getting comfortable." It wasn't a lie, just not the whole truth.

"How so?" He asked curiously. He clearly wanted a straight answer, and Lucy had a feeling she wouldn't be leaving until he received one.

"Well," she started hesitantly. "It's just an unsettling feeling I've been having lately. Most likely nothing big." Lucy scratched the back of her head awkwardly and avoided Laxus's pointed gaze.

Laxus looked out to the scenery Lucy was previously watching.

"It's not hard to for people to notice when something is off." He said without turning from the window. "Just imagine how much easier it must be for dragon slayers." He answered low, electrifying blue eyes boring into the now skittish girl across from him.

Lucy flushed a bright pink and fidgeted uncomfortably under his gaze. She wasn't sure what struck a chord in her mind, but his intense look reminded her of their _very_ interesting spar earlier that day.

"Then would you say you are feeling something is wrong as well?" Lucy inquired a bit too quickly.

Laxus let a very, almost microscopic smile grace his features. If anything he was showing a sign of interest, and that's not something he did often when dealing with others.

"I'd say you're right for trusting your instincts, something is slightly off, but if we can't determine what, there's no gain by losing sleep over it." Laxus replied lacing his arms behind his head, as if he had no qualms with a possible threat lingering around.

"You're saying to just let it go?" Lucy asked, confused with her teammate.

"No, if anything you should be on guard, because I don't think you're suspicion is incorrect. However, it would be very unfortunate if we were to run into trouble and the team is down one member." He stated wisely.

Lucy knew he was right, but her mind just wouldn't let her rest. She exhaled slowly and quietly sorted through her thoughts. It wasn't like she wanted to dwell over everything, but it just drove her insane to leave everything alone.

"How are you liking this mission?" Laxus asked casually. He was flipping through the pages of one of the tabloid magazines and Lucy almost laughed at the disgusted look he gave.

"It's interesting," she answered lightly. "I wasn't really sure what I was expecting when agreeing to join, but I am definitely not disappointed." Lucy smiled brightly, even if she was sure she looked like a complete and utter mess.

Maybe it was they way she smiled so easily, or her ability to look alluring, even in her muddled state, something about _her_ was just so inviting. He couldn't help but to return her smile, secretly glad she was enjoying her time with the team_._

"It's a nice change of pace. I'm certain this will be a great learning experience." She mentally took note of her teammate's relaxed demeanor and couldn't repress the giggle erupting from her.

"What's so funny?" Laxus smirked, not at all complaining with the sudden change.

"It's just really surprising to see a look other than a scowl on your face." She wiped away at the corner of her eyes to catch the stray tears produced during her small giggle fit.

"Didn't think I could be anything but a stick in the mud?" He asked in a teasing manner.

"At first maybe, but you proved me wrong today. It is very refreshing to be away from the guild for a while."

"Would that have to do with a certain Fire Dragon-Slayer being a complete idiot?"

"D-does everyone know about that already?" She asked bewildered and going red from head to toe.

"It was the latest talk of the guild when I got back. Just so you know, he's a fool for choosing Lisanna. Anyone can see who the better pick is." Laxus looked her dead in the eyes and there was no mistaking his words.

"Thanks." Lucy answered meekly, now beginning to feel very self-conscious.

She looked _cute_ being so shy, but Laxus knew better than to comment on that. He wanted to comfort the girl, not drive her away with his indecent thoughts.

"You should get some rest, I'll walk you to your room." He offered standing from the couch and waiting for her to do the same.

"Oh no, it's ok. I can make it to my room fine." She said flustered. Her head was still trying to process the compliment he had given her.

"Well, my room _is_ across from yours." He smirked.

"Eh? Oh, right." She muttered.

They walked up the stairs in silence as Lucy kept a steady pace next to Laxus. She was just grateful they didn't take the elevator, she couldn't stand the awkward atmosphere it would create. They reached their floor and Lucy felt more at ease than when she had originally left.

"Thank you for keeping me company." Lucy said reaching her door. Laxus was standing in front of his own door and gave her a small shrug.

"Get some rest, we still have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

"Don't remind me." Lucy groaned, dreading the thought of more spars and laps.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Laxus." She smiled lightly.

Lucy entered her room and saw the blonde's back when she closed her door. She stayed staring at the closed door for a couple minutes before kicking off her shoes and removing her jacket.

The blonde tiptoed to her bed and sighed when her body came into contact with the soft mattress. She rolled to her side and looked out the open window, the stars twinkling brightly in the night sky.

'_He's not as bad as everyone makes him out to be.'_ Was her final thoughts before dozing off into a pleasant dream, unaware of the two forms retreating from the room and through the open window.

* * *

"Morning!" The females greeted the males as they reached the same open field as yesterday. The men looked towards the girls, Gajeel and Pantherlily approaching the group while Laxus remained in his spot.

"Bunny Girl wasn't keeping you up with her snoring was she?" Gajeel snickered.

"Hey! I don't snore!" Lucy defended.

Wendy giggled at their absurd argument and watched as the two exchanged carefree and meaningly harmless words. Carla was not in the mood for such behavior so early in the morning and joined Pantherlily on the sidelines.

Once the two had calmed down and Laxus didn't fry them both, the group did a quick review of the moves learned yesterday and had time to fit in a few sparring matches. The most enjoyable event was seeing Laxus wipe the floor with Gajeel. He was of course a very skilled fighter, however, Laxus was on an entirely different level.

Laxus had Gajeel pinned to the ground by the throat, Laxus using his foot and body weight to keep pressure on his opponent. The blonde removed himself from his teammate and offered a hand to the coughing man on the ground. Gajeel accepted the help and returned to his feet.

"Guess I need more practice." The Iron Dragon-Slayer said sorely as he massaged his neck.

"You lasted longer than most." Laxus answered slyly.

Lucy and Wendy gave Gajeel comforting pats on the back as he slumped down next to the two, offering a sarcastic round of 'good job' and 'better luck next time'. He grunted under his breath and flicked both girls on the forehead for their taunts.

"If I remember correctly, you lost yesterday too, Bunny Girl." Gajeel argued to the blonde girl.

"Yeah, whatever." Lucy grumbled.

"It's good to see everyone is so lively today." Laxus addressed his teammates, his eyes lingering on the celestial mage. "Now that you have… a basic sense of combat, it's time you combine that into your magic fighting as well.

"It's beneficial to be developed in many areas of combat besides just your magic. To give you an idea of what I mean, Wendy and I will demonstrate." Wendy froze on the spot, looking at Lucy with a dreadful look, but nonetheless stood next to Laxus.

"So w-what do you want me to do exactly?" Wendy questioned nervously as her body began to tremble.

"Follow my lead." Laxus replied gently. He gave her a reassuring smile and got into a fighting stance. Wendy did the same, quite unsure how she would fair against one of Fairy Tail's strongest members.

Lucy, Gajeel, and the two exceeds sat on the grassy sidelines and watched with a mix of fascination and horror. Gajeel was glad he wasn't going to be the punching bag this time and Pantherlily was very much ready for a teachable moment. Lucy and Carla however, weren't so eager to see Wendy being used as a demonstration. The two dragon-slayers exchanged a few words no one else could hear. Wendy nodded her head slowly and the demonstration began.

They circled each other, both assessing the other as a means to formulate a strategy before attacking. Wendy struck first, starting off with only the hand-to-hand combat moves she was taught. She wasn't by any means as powerful as Laxus, but she was considerably faster, much to the group's surprise and utter astonishment. Her small fists flew in every direction at Laxus, some making contact, but not having much effect as she hoped it would. The blonde blocked and evaded the attacks with ease.

"Sky Dragon Crushing Fang!" Wendy roared. Her attack was encased in a whirlwind and she sent hit after hit to Laxus. It did a lot more damage than her bare fist would have done.

However, Laxus took the blows without any complaints, using the attack more so to his advantage as he struck out a fist infused with lightning to the Sky Dragon-Slayer. The fist connected, his opponent getting a small dose of voltage through her system, but not enough to cause any serious damage.

Lucy and Gajeel looked on, both noticing the recurring moves they practiced the previous day, only this time accompanied by magic. Lucy could make the connection on how this would help people who conjured their magic from within, but she didn't quite understand how that would help her, who had to summon celestial spirits in order to fend off opponents.

Both dragon-slayers put up a good fight, neither one backing down or showing any signs of giving in, and it even seemed that Wendy had the upper hand at one point of the match. But yet again, Laxus had this win in the bag.

Laxus saw Wendy preparing for another strike to his unguarded left side. She threw her entire weight into the attack, confident she would be able to land the hit. Only in the blink of an eye Laxus was gone and Wendy was sent hurtling straight for the ground. She wasn't fast enough to get her hands in front of her to break her fall. All she could do was watch as her vision got closer and closer to the grass.

Just as the the young girl was about to hit the ground, a hand roughly grabbed the back of her shirt and kept her from slamming head first into the grass. Wendy stared at the ground that was merely inches away from her nose before being hoisted to her feet.

"Everybody clear now?" He asked the three. Wendy wobbled slightly and would have fallen yet again if not for Laxus keeping her steady.

All nodded their heads, definitely clear on what was expected of them in the next portion of training.

"Good. Let's begin."

* * *

Three figures watched the training group intently, not a single detail being overlooked as they watched their every move. There was a woman and two men exchanging glances at one another, very well knowing who that group was.

"Well, would you look at that boys, seems like we found ourselves some fun." The woman laughed deliriously. "I trust your little investigation last night was a success?" She smirked.

The two men nodded, both keeping silent.

"Then I guess we should pay our new 'friends' a visit soon, don't you think? It would be rude on our part if we didn't introduce ourselves."

* * *

**Author's Note: Well what do you think so far? I'm personally loving this whole Laxus/Wendy fighting duo. As for Lucy, what can I say? She and Gajeel joke around at times as it is. I know I added a lot more Laxus with a dash of Lucy to spice things up. Well, tell me what you think of this chapter and what you would like to see in the story. Reviews are always appreciated and thanks for reading!**


	11. Author Update

**Author's Note: **

**Hi guys! I don't know if anyone really reads these, but I hope you do because it has some pretty important stuff. First and foremost, this is not a new chapter, so please don't hate me. I'm very sorry for going such a long time without updating. Honestly I just lost all motivation for this story before and I really didn't try to make time for it. BUT I am back, I did not die, and I do plan on continuing this story. I know I made most of you wait almost a year for this story, but I am asking for just a little longer as I get back into gear. I want to really thank all the people that are reading and following this story, I appreciate every single person who took time out of their day to read this author's note and my attempt at a Fairy Tail love story. So, honestly I just want your feedback and opinions on anything, the story, why I was gone, characters, plot, future writing, it doesn't matter! If you want to do a game of 20 about why I never updated, go right on ahead. PM me or review whatever it is you need to say or communicate to me. Just know that I am going to do my best to continue this story, for myself and for you guys as well. And once again, thank you for sticking with me!**


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